


An End Has a Start

by amelespotamos



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: At least for a little bit, I don't know, M/M, and one-sided woogyu, because sunggyu is oblivious, especially when they don't relate to the story at all, i have to stop stealing song titles, it's platonic donggyu, not everyone has one though, superpower au, where am i going with this?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-19 13:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5968894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amelespotamos/pseuds/amelespotamos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunggyu likes his job. It's easy and it involves something he loves: music. What he doesn't like are the slow days when he's lucky if even one person comes in. He swears those days must be the longest of his life. It's on one of those tortuously slow days that Sunggyu's boredom is interrupted by the door bursting open, the chimes above it ringing furiously in its wake. Just as he picks his head up from where it had been resting on his hand, a body comes tumbling over the counter and lands with a grunt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I shouldn't post this since I'm not even close to done with it yet, but I was motivated enough to finish All The World's a Stage, so let's see if it works on this one too. It might take a bit longer for this, though, because I don't have an actual plot. I started this from a simple prompt: a record store employee with latent superpowers (or something like that). I have an idea of what I want to happen, but there's not really a specific goal that I have in mind.
> 
> I don't know if this is any good. Or makes any sense.

Sunggyu likes his job. It's easy and it involves something he loves: music. What he doesn't like are the slow days when he's lucky if even one person comes in. He ends up stuck behind the register bored out of his mind. It's not so bad when there's another cashier around to make the time move faster. But when it's just him, he swears those days must be the longest of his life.  


It's on one of those tortuously slow days that Sunggyu's boredom is interrupted by the door bursting open, the chimes above it ringing furiously in its wake. Just as he picks his head up from where it had been resting on his hand, a body comes tumbling over the counter and lands with a grunt. As the person rights themselves and huddles in a corner Sunggyu realizes it's actually a guy around his age. He takes in the stranger's windswept black hair, leather jacket, and ripped jeans. He looks like someone Sunggyu would pass on the street and not give a second glance. When the guy looks up and their eyes meet, it's like a jolt of electricity goes through him. Not the romantically cliche metaphor, but like an actual current runs down from his head to his toes. It makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He can't tell if the other felt the same thing, fear seems to be the only clear emotion in the guy's eyes.  


Sunggyu opens his mouth to say... something. He's not completely sure what, but he feels like there's something he's supposed to say. The door opening for a second time stops him short. The stranger's eyes become even wider than they'd already been. He holds a finger to his mouth while shaking his head. Sunggyu doesn't have to be a genius to figure out that the guy must be running from someone. He doesn't know what he's found himself in the middle of, but he really hopes whoever's after this guy isn't dangerous. Or that the guy, himself, isn't the dangerous one.  


When he looks to the store's entrance he sees two men in black suits surveying the room. There's not much to see considering the record store is only a small room filled with racks of old 45's and cassette tapes and CDs and an even smaller storage room above it. They look like the typical cronies that are valuable for their brawn rather than their brains.  


"Can I help you?"  


Sunggyu swears he didn't mean to say that. He had been planning on just standing there in the hopes that they'd think he was too stupid to know anything and leave. But now their attention is on him because he had to go and open his mouth. He gulps when they step closer, resisting the urge to cower under their intimidating stares.  


"Has anyone come in here recently?" One of them asks, his voice a low rumble.  


Sunggyu's mouth feels too dry for him to get any more words out. His palms are sweaty and his heart is beating too loudly in his ears. He doesn't usually have trouble lying convincingly, but those situations normally don't involve possible gangsters who could do grievous bodily harm without even using the guns they're most likely carrying.  


"Not that I've seen," he answers with a shake of his head. There's only the slightest hint of a tremor in his voice. The two men eye him suspiciously and he tries his best to look unshaken as he holds their stares. "Is there someone I'm supposed to be looking out for?"  


Wow, he really needs to stop doing that. He's sure they'll leave faster if he doesn't say too much, but it seems his mouth has separated itself from his brain. And it doesn't help that his tone comes out more on the surly side of rude.  


Sunggyu had thought only his mother could instill the fear of God in him, but it looks like he was wrong. After another minute of intense staring, the men seem to decide Sunggyu isn't worth the trouble. "It's nothing for you to worry about," The deep-voiced one snarls. His eyes are narrowed, still put-off by Sunggyu's ill-timed rudeness. Without another word they turn around and head for the front door. Sunggyu has to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stop any insolent word vomit that might come out. He values his life too much. It's not until they're out of sight that he stops holding his breath. With a heavy sigh he drops the upper half of his body onto the countertop, resting his cheek on the cool surface and letting his arms hang over the edge. He's not made for that kind of thing.  


A shuffling sound behind him reminds him that another person is in the room. He raises his head and whips around so fast he has to steady himself against the counter. It's hard to tell if the dizziness he's feeling is from the sudden movement or looking into the stranger's eyes again. It's also incredibly weird. There's an itchy feeling somewhere on his skin, but he can't find the exact spot. And again that hair-raising electricity passes through him.  


The fear is mostly gone from the guy's eyes, leaving room for relief and something else Sunggyu isn't skilled enough to decipher. It's soft and a little sad and he doesn't actually know how to read people, so he could be wrong.  


"Is there a back door to this place?"  


Of all of the things Sunggyu had expected the guy to say, that wasn't one of them. A thank you or maybe an apology for the inconvenience would make more sense. He stares dumbly at him for a moment before finding his voice.  


"I-it's over there." He points weakly to the back corner of the store. The door is only used to take the garbage out to the dumpster (and for the boss's not-so-secret smoke breaks) and is usually kept locked. Sunggyu can only watch as the guy jumps back over the counter, not noticing the part of the counter that lifts up to allow easier passage between the cash register and the rest of the store, and walks to the backdoor. He wishes he could do or say something in response to the hesitant "thanks" the guy throws over his shoulder before the door slams shut behind him. But his feet are stuck to the floor, his whole body frozen with his hands still gripping the edge of the counter, and his brain is unable to supply words to his mouth.  


Woohyun finds him in that same position two hours later when he comes in for his shift. He panics almost immediately and rushes to the older man's side. He considers closing the store for an hour or two so he can make sure Sunggyu gets home without passing out in the middle of the street or walking into traffic. Sunggyu tries to assure him that he can get himself home just fine, but it comes out in a stutter that confuses Sunggyu until he realizes that he's freezing cold and shivering down to his bones. Needless to say, Woohyun doesn't believe him and gets as far as locking the front door and switching the sign on it from "open" to "closed" before Sunggyu haltingly scolds him for doing unnecessary things. Woohyun doesn't bother paying attention to the nagging. Instead choosing his concern for his friend over losing an hour of business.  


He escorts Sunggyu out the backdoor and to his car parked on the street in front of the record store. In his preoccupied state he doesn't even notice that the backdoor had already been unlocked. Inside the car, he blasts the heat as high as it'll go despite how warm the weather already is. Sunggyu sits back in his seat with his arms wrapped around himself and closes his eyes in the hopes of getting his head to stop spinning.  


By the time they reach his apartment Sunggyu's teeth have stopped chattering and the goosebumps on his skin have gone down. The dizziness hasn't passed yet, though, so he has to wait for Woohyun to come around to the passenger side and help him out of the car. He carries more than half of Sunggyu's weight up three flights of stairs and all the way to his bed. He tucks his friend in with two heavy blankets up to his neck and fetches two painkillers from the medicine cabinet and a glass of water. Normally Sunggyu would balk in embarrassment at being coddled, but he's way too out of it to protest when Woohyun helps him take the pills.  


Woohyun sits with him, waiting for the medication to take effect. Even with a joking tone he can't hide the genuine worry in his voice as he tries to figure out what's wrong.  


Sunggyu's head feels like it's full of cotton. Everything seems hazy and sluggish. He tries to recall what he was doing before Woohyun came into the store, but his brain is unable to conjure up anything before then. He still can't seem to find any words and has to settle for shrugging or shaking or nodding his head in response to Woohyun's concerned questions.  


Woohyun finally leaves when the pills kick in and Sunggyu's breathing evens out. He leaves a note for Sunggyu telling him to take the next day off even if he feels better and go to the hospital to get checked out. He's pretty sure Sunggyu will ignore the advice and show up to work anyway, but he thinks he should give it a try.  


Sunggyu sleeps through the whole night. A first in a very long time. His dreams range from vague and incomplete to so vivid that they might have actually happened. Most involve him as a child and another young kid whose eyes seem familiar even if the name Sunggyu calls him doesn't.

  


\---

  


Sunggyu awakens the next day feeling the most well-rested he's felt in such a long time. The minor back ache he tends to wake up with that he likes to blame on his mattress is surprisingly nonexistent. He feels boneless, like he could melt into the bed at any moment. The morning sunlight that would usually cause him to close his eyes with a wince doesn't seem nearly as harsh. He's lying in his bed enjoying the new feeling when his cellphone starts to ring. He doesn't even have to look at the caller ID to know who it is. Stretching an arm out, he picks the phone up from the nightstand and slides a thumb over the screen to answer the call.  


"What do you want," he asks after bringing the phone up to his ear.  


"I guess that means I didn't wake you," Woohyun's voice greets him on the other end. His tone is dry, but Sunggyu can tell he's just trying to hide his relief. "And that you're feeling more like yourself."  


Sunggyu sits up, kicking the blankets down to the foot of the bed, and leans back against the headboard. Woohyun's words spur his brain into action, reminding him of the events of the day before. He had definitely not been himself. He would think the sudden fever or whatever it had been was just that if not for the memories that had come with it. He had spent the night dredging up moments from his childhood and adolescence. His dreams went from him as a curious five-year-old meeting the new family next door with the excitable four-year-old to him as a high school senior preparing for the next chapter in his life. The very last dream (memory, rather) he'd had was of himself and someone else. The other had been his best friend, actually—well, before Woohyun. The details are still a bit hazy, but he remembers they had been talking and then it was just him, standing in front of his soon-to-be workplace. In the blink of an eye his life had seemed to restart itself. It was like his life had switched to a completely different track. And he hadn't even realized it.  


"Sunggyu... You still there?" There's a worried note to Woohyun's voice that he doesn't even try to hide. Sunggyu wants to tell him to stop worrying so much about him, but he knows it's pointless. It would be as useful as when Woohyun tries to get Sunggyu to take better care of himself. They're both too stubborn to listen to the other.  


"Yeah, I'm still here," Sunggyu assures him. There's an almost inaudible sigh on the other end before Woohyun's light and teasing voice comes through.  


"What, were you thinking about how to thank me without actually using the words 'thank you'?"  


"I don't have a problem saying thank you," Sunggyu scoffs as he gets up from the bed. He finds it easy to brush off the jab at his pride with the good mood still over him. At the crinkling of paper underfoot he looks down to see he's stepped on a slip of paper. He guesses it must be a note from Woohyun as he bends down to retrieve it. And he's right. "Are you done checking up on me," he asks while reading over the note. It says exactly what he thought it would.  


"That depends," Woohyun answers him, "Did you see the note I left you?"  


Sunggyu sits back down on the bed. After such a long, deep sleep his legs aren't quite ready to support the rest of his body. "I'm looking right at it."  


"And?"  


Sunggyu hums into the phone as if he's trying to make up his mind. "And I really like your handwriting." Woohyun groans on the other end and Sunggyu just knows he's pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He knows that's not the answer his friend was looking for, but he also knows Woohyun won't like his actual answer either. "Look," he starts. "I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I promise. So I'm just going to come in today. There's no reason for me to take the day off or go get a check-up. I'll be okay."  


Woohyun is silent for a beat. "So does that mean you know what happened to you yesterday? Or why it happened?"  


Sunggyu bites his lower lip, briefly contemplating telling the other the truth. He decides against it when he concludes that Woohyun wouldn't understand or believe it. He doesn't even know if he believes it himself. His life would be so much easier if he chose to believe his lost memories were just fever-induced hallucinations. But he can't. They're as real as the life he's living now. A life he never imagined for himself. "It's a long, complicated story," he says with a quiet sigh. "I'll tell you some other time." Although Woohyun is probably burning with curiosity, Sunggyu can tell he's trying his best to hide it. To not demand to know everything right this damn second. And he's grateful for it. Because how can he explain to his friend that the Kim Sunggyu he knows, that he trusts and worries over, isn't real? Or, rather, isn't the whole truth. "Can I get ready for work now, Mom?" Sunggyu rises again from his unmade bed, laying Woohyun's note on the nightstand.  


Woohyun sighs in defeat. (Although, it's not like he wins very often to begin with. They might both be stubborn, but Sunggyu usually manages to get his way.) "I should know better by now, huh?" It comes out as a mumble, but Sunggyu still hears it. He chooses to ignore it. "Don't worry about opening the store," Woohyun says at a normal volume. "I'll do it, so you can just take your time coming in."  


"Yeah, okay, I'll see you in thirty minutes," Sunggyu tells him before hanging up.

  


\---

  


When Sunggyu finally arrives at the store (twenty-five minutes later, to be exact), he finds Woohyun doing inventory in the storage room. His friend immediately drops what he's doing when he notices Sunggyu. The concern Sunggyu had felt coming from him over the phone is now replaced by anger he can feel from across the room. That mixed with the determination written all over Woohyun's face as he stomps towards him is almost enough to intimidate Sunggyu. But not quite. Sunggyu doesn't cower easily.  


"I think it's been long enough," Woohyun says when he reaches Sunggyu standing in the doorway. "So now you're going to tell me what the hell's going on with you." He crosses his arms, clearly leaving no room for argument.  


Sunggyu stares back at Wooyhun, trying to find the right words. He hasn't stopped wondering if he should be honest with the other. It's not that he doesn't trust Woohyun. He does, completely. But this whole thing, the events from the day before as well as the ones from his past that have just come back to him, it's all so crazy. He's reluctant to involve Woohyun in the madness that had been his life up until a couple years ago. But at the same time, he feels it's unfair of him to lie about or withhold any of it from Woohyun. Especially when his friend is so concerned about him and would try to help him any way he could.  


Sunggyu opens his mouth to try to explain the bind he's in, but a voice in his head stops the flow of words from his brain to his mouth. It's definitely not his own, but it sounds as clear as if it is. It's also a familiar voice.  


"Did you hear that?" Sunggyu looks around for the owner of the voice, but it's only Woohyun and him. He doesn't think he imagined it. At least, he hopes he didn't.  


Woohyun looks at him in confusion. "Hear what?" The store is as silent as it usually is with only the sound of traffic from outside, muffled by glass, filling up the quiet.  


_This is a bad idea. What if he's not even here? I should leave_ —  


" _That_ ," Sunggyu practically shouts, effectively silencing the strange voice in his head. He has a finger pointed in the air and his eyes are wide with panic. His expression must be bordering on deranged if the uneasy look Woohyun is giving him is anything to go by. "Tell me you heard that."  


Woohyun takes a step towards his friend and reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder. "I think you should take a seat and just breathe for a minute, okay," he says carefully. He moves his hand from Sunggyu's shoulder to his back and tries to lead him to one of the many stacks of boxes filling the room.  


Sunggyu steps away from him. "I don't need to sit. I'm fine." He says it more to convince himself than Woohyun. He doesn't know how to explain the foreign voice in his head. But he does know that he's heard it before. He can feel it in his gut.  


Woohyun isn't any more assured than he had been before. "You don't look fine," he says as he takes a small step towards Sunggyu. Sunggyu can only see concern in his friend's eyes. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on? Does this have something to do with what happened to you yesterday?"  


There's a hesitant pause before Sunggyu answers quietly. "Yes." He takes a deep breath, readying himself to tell Woohyun everything, but the sound of the store's front door opening makes him pause. Woohyun lets out a frustrated groan, stepping around Sunggyu to leave the storage room. Sunggyu follows closely behind him. He's actually relieved that he doesn't have to try to explain anything just yet. That is, until he reaches the bottom of the stairs and gets a good look at their first customer of the day.  


It's the guy from the day before. He's dressed in the same dark and worn clothes, but his hair is much more tamed. His eyes pass right over Woohyun to Sunggyu.  


"Can I help—" Woohyun starts, but Sunggyu cuts him off.  


"Dongwoo." It comes out somewhere between a statement and a question. A wave of relief washes over him; like the feeling of finding something that had been lost. He walks past Woohyun and stands in front of his old friend.  


Dongwoo's eyes are wide, but also happy. A small smile makes its way onto his face as he says, "Hi, Sunggyu." A beat of silence passes as they hold each other's gazes. It's broken when Sunggyu smacks the other's shoulder.  


"You disappear for two years and that's all you have to say? And why didn't you say anything yesterday?" Despite his anger, he's actually very happy to see Dongwoo. They've been through so much together. He might not have been able to miss his friend, but the memories he has are enough to remind him of how much he meant to him. Dongwoo doesn't flinch from Sunggyu's hit. His smile only grows wider as he wraps his arms around the other and squeezes. Sunggyu keeps up his angry act for another second before returning the hug and letting himself smile. "I'm still mad at you," he tells the short man in his arms. He had always liked his friend's height. He isn't that much shorter than him, but he just looks so small and it makes Sunggyu want to protect him.  


"I know." Dongwoo's answer comes out muffled by the other's shirt. His face is pressed into the fabric and Sunggyu suspects he's hiding tears. "I'm sorry." There's a slight tremor in his voice that proves it's true. His arms tighten around Sunggyu almost enough to disrupt the other's breathing.  


Sunggyu rubs his friend's back comfortingly. Any residual anger he might have felt dissipates at the sight of Dongwoo apologetic and clinging to him as if he might disappear. He had never been able to stay mad at Dongwoo. The sound of Woohyun clearing his throat reminds Sunggyu that he and Dongwoo aren't the only ones in the room. He loosens his hold on Dongwoo and the other reluctantly follows his lead. When they turn to face Woohyun, Sunggyu isn't surprised to see his other friend is trying (and mostly failing) to hide his obvious irritation.  


"I hate to break up this reunion, but can someone explain to me what the hell's going on?" _And who the hell this guy is?_  


Sunggyu takes a moment to answer. He's sure he heard Woohyun say that last part, but he hadn't seen his mouth move. He decides he must not have been looking properly. That's probably what it is. "This is Dongwoo," he starts, wrapping an arm around the shorter man. "We grew up together." There's a lot more to their relationship than that, but Sunggyu figures he should start with the basics first.  


Woohyun gives Dongwoo a slow once over. He doesn't look especially impressed. Dongwoo shrinks a little under the other's gaze. "You said he was here yesterday?" Indifference quickly turns to suspicion.  


Sunggyu's arm tightens around his friend. Woohyun wouldn't be entirely wrong to conclude that Dongwoo had something to do with the strange illness that Sunggyu had come down with, but he would be misunderstanding. "Yes, but it's not what you think." He considers trying to explain what happened to him the day before or why Dongwoo was even there. But the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that for Woohyun to truly understand (or at least begin to) he'll have to start at the very beginning. "Dongwoo and I have known each other since we were kids. We were— _are_ best friends." He looks at his friend apologetically. He knows the other has always assumed that he held that title. And up until a few hours ago Sunggyu had thought so too. He still does actually. Woohyun doesn't seem too put out and Sunggyu hopes it's because he really isn't and not because he's only pretending. The other's ego is really such a fragile thing. "When we were maybe thirteen or so," he continues, "Dongwoo realized that there was something, uh, different, I guess, about him." Sunggyu looks to his old friend to explain exactly what it is that sets him apart from everyone else.  


Dongwoo clears his throat, his hand seeking out the comfort of the taller man's waist. Nervous actions aside, he speaks confidently as if he's had practice explaining this sort of thing. "I can alter people's memories. Like, make them remember something that never happened or erase something that did. And some other things too."  


Woohyun looks between the two men in front of him. “You didn’t have to go to this much trouble to avoid telling me the truth. I know I can be pushy, but if you really didn’t want me to know you could’ve just said so. I know when to mind my business.”  


Sunggyu sputters for a moment, at a loss for words, and then, “We’re not—that _is_ the truth.”  


“What makes you think I would believe that?”  


“You don’t have to.” This comes from Dongwoo, who lets go of Sunggyu’s waist and takes a step towards Woohyun. “But at least let me show you what I can do before you make up your mind.”  


“He won’t hurt you,” Sunggyu jumps in to vouch for his friend. He can tell by the look on Woohyun’s face that the younger man isn’t entirely convinced. “All you do is think of a memory and he can pull it out of your head.”  


“How the hell is that not supposed to hurt?”  


“You won’t feel anything,” Dongwoo promises, taking another step forward. “And it crumbles easily when you’re done.”  


Woohyun takes an automatic step backward. He opens his mouth as if he might say something, but closes it shortly after. His eyes go from Dongwoo to Sunggyu and stay locked with his friend’s. Whatever internal conflict he has resolves itself quicker than Sunggyu had thought it would take. Woohyun huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Alright, fine,” he says. “Prove it.” _The things I do for you._  


It’s hard to deny what he sees (or doesn’t see, in this case), but Sunggyu is stubborn even in denial. There’s no excusing the fact that Woohyun’s lips definitely did not move. And Sunggyu is positive he had heard that last part and that it was directed at him. Yet he doesn’t want to believe that that’s possible. How is it even possible? He doesn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because Dongwoo is trying his best to reassure Woohyun and further explain how his power works. Sunggyu can only file the strange incident away to pick at later and instead focus on the scene in front of him. Dongwoo has his hands on Woohyun’s temples, his eyes closed in concentration, while the latter has his eyes wide open. He’s obviously still wary of trusting this complete stranger.  


“Okay,” Dongwoo says quietly and Sunggyu knows that means he found the memory. The older man watches as his old friend moves one of his hands to Woohyun’s forehead. A moment later he pulls it away to reveal what looks like a flattened black marble nestled in his palm. He holds it out to the other man who picks it up slowly.  


“That’s it,” Woohyun asks. Sunggyu doesn’t think he could look any more underwhelmed. “That might as well have been a magic trick.”  


Dongwoo takes a hold of Woohyun’s wrist to bring the small object level with his eyes. “Look closer.” A wide smile breaks out on his face once the other man does just that. Sunggyu recognizes Woohyun’s wide-eyed astonishment as the same kind he’d had when his friend had first demonstrated his powers. It had actually taken Dongwoo twice as long, the process still new to him. Sunggyu feels just as proud as Dongwoo to see how much he’s improved.  


Woohyun hasn’t taken his eyes off of the item in his hand. “How’s this even possible?”  


“I don’t really know,” Dongwoo answers honestly. “But you believe us now, right?”  


“Kinda hard not to.”  


Sunggyu takes a step closer to Woohyun, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Which memory did you pick anyway,” he asks as he reaches out to his friend.  


Woohyun makes a fist around the stone-like memory and brings it protectively to his chest. “It’s nothing.” That’s not convincing to Sunggyu in the least. And it shows on his face. Woohyun turns to Dongwoo instead. “You guys haven’t seen each other in a long time, right? There’s probably a lot you want to talk about. I don’t need to be here for that; I’ll just give you two some privacy.”  


Dongwoo glances between the other two men with a small frown. “But aren’t you—” The words seem to dry up in his mouth with just one look from Woohyun and he clamps his mouth shut instantly.  


“Am I missing something,” Sunggyu asks. He shifts his eyes from Woohyun to Dongwoo, suspicious and confused. And even more curious about the memory. Dongwoo remains silent while Woohyun waves away the question.  


"Of course not." His smile is as obviously fake as his light tone. "But you guys should really talk. About each other. And catch up." Without waiting for an answer, Woohyun gives Dongwoo a small push toward Sunggyu and scurries away to the storage room with the excuse of work thrown over his shoulder.  


  


\---

  


Sunggyu invites Dongwoo to his apartment after his shift so they can talk more (and without Woohyun poking his nose into it; Sunggyu mentally promises himself to fill his co-worker in at some point) and Dongwoo shows up at Sunggyu's doorstep with chicken and a six-pack. He apologizes again for taking Sunggyu’s memories with the explanation that he’d started to feel like he was burdening Sunggyu. He’s like a magnet to trouble and his powers only seem to make it worse. Sunggyu had always come running to bail him out no matter what, but Dongwoo feels like that hadn’t been fair to Sunggyu. So he’d thought the best thing to do would be to get out of Sunggyu’s life and erase any trace that he’d been in it. Although in the end Dongwoo hadn’t been able to let go completely (to let him forget) and instead of taking Sunggyu’s memories, he’d only buried them in Sunggyu’s mind.  


“Why didn’t you tell me first,” Sunggyu asks. “Or at least ask me how I felt about it?”  


Dongwoo fiddles with the tab on his beer can, moving it back and forth until it comes off with a quiet snap. “Well, I figured you’d probably say it was fine. That you didn’t mind helping me.” Sunggyu nods. He’s sure that’s how he would have felt. That’s how he feels now too. He knows Dongwoo never means to cause trouble. He only ever wants to help, but his enthusiasm and unwavering optimism gets in the way sometimes. “I thought you could be doing better things with your life than cleaning up my mess all the time,” Dongwoo says with a sad smile.  


“Do I look like I have anything better going on?”  


“You know what I mean.”  


Sunggyu reaches out to pat Dongwoo’s knee. “Yeah, I do. But next time you could let me know before you give me a lobotomy.” When the joke doesn’t seem to lighten Dongwoo’s mood, Sunggyu decides to change the subject. By now there are only bones and empty cans left and the sound of the TV as background noise. Sunggyu has moved on to water as he finally gets around to asking Dongwoo about the day before.  


Dongwoo sits with his legs tucked under him on one end of Sunggyu's couch. "There's this guy." Dongwoo snorts at the way Sunggyu's eyebrows nearly disappear under his bangs. "Not like that," he laughs. If Dongwoo was gay, he's sure he would know by now.  


Sunggyu pretends to pout into his glass. "Damn, I thought I finally had a chance." Dongwoo's laugh is loud and happy and it doesn't take long for Sunggyu to start laughing too. It's just a joke; Sunggyu has never even thought of Dongwoo in that way. They'd had a few misunderstandings while growing up, though, because of how close they are. One of Dongwoo's ex-girlfriends had said they seemed more like an old married couple than friends. Neither Sunggyu nor Dongwoo had seen the issue with that. They were (are?) comfortable with each other in the most platonic way possible.  


"His name is Howon," Dongwoo continues once the laughter quiets down. "I think he's like me. Well, I'm pretty sure. But he doesn't believe me."  


"What can he do?" Sunggyu's never met anyone else with strange powers. He can only imagine how Dongwoo must have felt; how excited he must have been to learn there's someone else like him.  


One of Dongwoo's shoulders lifts in a half-shrug. He picks at a loose thread in his jeans. "It seems like telekinesis, but I didn't really get a good look. I think he thinks he's being haunted."  


"He can believe in ghosts, but not superpowers?" Dongwoo gives him another half-shrug in response. "So how did those two lugs end up chasing you into the store?"  


For the first time that night, Dongwoo looks bashful. He rubs the back of his neck as he looks away from Sunggyu. "Ah, yeah, that," he mumbles. "Well, you see, Howon’s father is kind of a big deal—he runs some big business or something—and I guess he must have quite a few enemies since those guys are supposed to be Howon’s bodyguards. And I must have come on a bit too strong when I first saw his power."  


"So he sicced his henchmen on you? Are you sure this is the kind of person you want to mess with?" Even as Sunggyu asks the question he already knows the answer. Dongwoo's been alone in dealing with his ability for so long. He wouldn't just give up after finally finding someone he can relate to, even if that someone wants nothing to do with him.  


"I have to help him," Dongwoo says, determination shining brightly in his eyes. "He doesn't understand what's happening or that he's the one making things happen. He can't control it yet, but I want to teach him how to before anyone gets hurt."  


"And how do you expect to do that?" Dongwoo's first approach hadn't gone over very well and Sunggyu can't imagine this guy being happy to see Dongwoo again. But Sunggyu knows he'll help his friend any way he can.  


Dongwoo shrugs a third time. "I'm not sure yet," he sighs. The light in his eyes is unwavering even as his shoulders slump. "I think if I get him alone he might listen to what I have to say. But his bodyguards are always right next to him. I don't know how to get rid of them. Or, I guess, how to get him to get rid of them."  


Sunggyu nods slowly, thinking it over. "Why don't we sleep on it," he suggests. He still has a few questions about this mystery guy, but it's gotten pretty late and it's been a long day. He's only just gotten his memory back (without knowing it had been taken in the first place); he needs time to sleep and process everything.  


"Speaking of sleep..."  


Dongwoo's turned sheepish again. Sunggyu stares at him for a moment before he realizes what Dongwoo's silently trying to ask him. It hadn't even occurred to Sunggyu that Dongwoo might not have anywhere else to go. He'd just assumed that Dongwoo had that taken care of already. "If you don't mind the couch," he answers. He almost regrets it when Dongwoo pounces on him from the other side of the couch.  


"I owe you one," Dongwoo smiles up at him. His arms are tight around Sunggyu's ribs as he rests halfway on top of his old friend. "Actually, I owe you a lot. You're not keeping a tab, are you?"  


Sunggyu laughs, bringing his arms around Dongwoo to return the hug. "I think I would've lost count by now if I was." He's in an awkward position wedged into a corner of the couch with Dongwoo's weight holding him in place. Normally, he would've complained about it already, but he's feeling oddly sentimental at the moment. There's a familiar comfort to Dongwoo that not even Woohyun could duplicate. Maybe it's because they've known each other for so long; he feels more relaxed than he's felt in probably the whole time they'd been apart. Sunggyu's not the sappy type, so he would never say it out loud, but he really does treasure his friendship with Dongwoo.  


"If you'd rather sleep here, I'll take your bed instead."  


"Don't get too comfortable; it's only for the night."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot shorter than the first one (about half as short) and it's not quite what I thought it would be going into it. I had a different ending in mind (like Hoya finally showing up), but that's just going to have to wait until the next chapter. I still don't really know what I'm doing with this, but I have an outline for the next couple of chapters. I should assure that the donggyu really is platonic here despite the oddly romantic moments they keep sharing. It's all part of the plan.

One night turns into a week which turns into a month. Sunggyu doesn't have the heart to turn his back on Dongwoo and he also wants to keep an eye on him. He figures this way his friend will get into less trouble. Despite the two years they'd spent apart, Sunggyu and Dongwoo adjust to being roommates easily. Although neither of them is surprised. They start a semi-regular routine of Sunggyu nagging Dongwoo about his messy habits and Dongwoo placating him with alcohol. (Sunggyu's starting to wonder if that's how his friend has ended up sleeping on his couch for so long: by keeping Sunggyu half-drunk most of the time.)

Woohyun had been oddly enthusiastic about the arrangement (not that anyone asked him) when he'd learned about it. It has nothing to do with him, but Sunggyu supposes it's one less headache to deal with if Woohyun really isn't put out by Dongwoo's sudden appearance. Woohyun has actually warmed up to Dongwoo incredibly fast considering it's only been a month. Sunggyu sometimes catches them talking quietly to each other before they notice he's close by and clam up. He’s almost entirely sure they’re talking about him. He doesn’t mind it too much; he just hopes they’re saying good things.

And while the two of them have been bonding, Sunggyu has started to think he’s losing his mind. He’s hearing things he’s not sure are real. Or if they are real, he doesn’t think he should be hearing them. Sometimes it’s just whispers, ghosting past his ear like the wind. Other times it’s like there’s someone screaming inside his head. After that first time with Woohyun he’s realized that it’s best not to go around telling people he’s hearing things no one else can. That doesn’t necessarily make it easier to ignore the voices.

"Are you getting another headache?"

Sunggyu pauses in massaging his temples and opens his eyes slowly. Dongwoo's worried face greets him from across the counter. In addition to hearing things, Sunggyu has also started getting headaches more frequently. They're not painful enough to be called migraines, but Sunggyu still ends up keeping a bottle of painkillers in his pocket. He nods as he goes back to trying to rub the pain away. (It doesn't work. It never works.)

"You should really consider getting that checked out," Dongwoo says, although it sounds more like a plea than a suggestion.

"I don't need to be checked out. A lot of people get headaches. It's one of the crappy parts of being an adult."

"A lot of people don't get them as often as you do."

Sunggyu sometimes forgets how perceptive Dongwoo can be. Of course, he should know better since they've known each other for so long and they're currently sharing the same (tiny) space. But he'd still held out hope that he'd had Dongwoo fooled into thinking it wasn't that bad. Without another excuse, Sunggyu continues massaging his head in silence. It's true that his headaches are abnormally frequent. To Dongwoo and Woohyun it seems like the headaches come every couple of days and last for about an hour or so. For Sunggyu it's more like a throbbing pain that fluctuates in intensity. He manages to reduce it to a dull ache most of the time thanks to the pills, but sometimes that's not enough. His friends would drag him—kicking and screaming—to the nearest hospital if they knew that, though, so he pretends he's not in constant pain and waves away their concerned nagging.

Dongwoo leans over the counter, his eyes searching Sunggyu's. "Is it because of something else?" He keeps his voice low even though they're the only two people in the store. (Woohyun's on a food run buying lunch for the three of them down the street.) "Why you don't want to go to the hospital," he elaborates.

"Something else like what?" Sunggyu has no idea what Dongwoo's talking about or why he's being so vague about it.

With a glance around the empty store, Dongwoo leans even closer. "Your powers," he answers in a conspiratorial whisper. There's an excited spark in his eyes that Sunggyu is sure must have been there when he'd first met Howon.

"What makes you think I have powers?"

"It's not just the headaches, is it? Things are happening to you that you can't explain. And you feel like you're going crazy." Sunggyu's hands drop down to the counter as he gapes at Dongwoo. He really doesn't give his friend enough credit. Dongwoo smiles triumphantly at the other's dumbfounded expression. It's probably taking a lot of effort to keep himself from bouncing around the room in happiness. "I'm right, aren't I? You _do_ have powers."

"I don't—" Sunggyu stops short. He's not really sure what's going on with him. It could be true that he is developing some kind of super-human ability. But he could also just be experiencing a mental breakdown brought on by the sudden resurfacing of repressed memories. He's thought a lot about this and he's nearly convinced it's the latter. It makes much more sense. "I don't know what's going on with me," he says slowly. Rubbing a hand across his face, he lets out a deep sigh. The pounding in his head has subsided to a barely noticeable throbbing. "My head feels like it's about to explode half of the time. There's so much noise; I can barely think. It's only quiet when I'm sleeping, but I can't just spend the rest of my life unconscious."

Dongwoo's excitement has dropped down to a simmer. He reaches out to rest a comforting hand on Sunggyu's arm. "It's always hard at first." His voice, although quiet again, is full of concern and affection. "But once you learn to control it, it gets easier. I promise," he assures him.

Sunggyu doesn't want to believe that that's what's happening to him; that he really does have strange powers. It's just not possible. It's unbelievable enough that he even knows someone like Dongwoo. Someone who can do what Dongwoo can. But there's no other explanation for everything he's been through. "I've been hearing things," Sunggyu finally admits out loud. It comes out with another heavy sigh. "I don't know how or why or if any of it is real, but there are these voices in my head, like, all the time. I'm pretty sure that's a sign of at least three mental illnesses."

"You're not crazy." At Sunggyu's skeptical scoff, Dongwoo takes both of Sunggyu's hands in his own. His thumbs rub slow circles against the other's knuckles as he looks deeply into his eyes. "You're not. I know it seems like it, but if you let me help you I can prove it to you. _Please_." Dongwoo's eyes are shiny with unshed tears. Sunggyu wouldn't know from experience, but he can imagine what his friend must be feeling. Dongwoo must be relieved that there's someone else like him (technically Sunggyu's second after Howon, but the latter is in even deeper denial than Sunggyu). And maybe a bit frustrated that Sunggyu isn't immediately convinced despite Dongwoo being all the proof he needs. The last thing Sunggyu wants is for Dongwoo to feel like he doesn't trust him or his opinion.

"You're right," Sunggyu concedes. Between the two of them, Dongwoo would obviously know more about this than him. So it follows that he should let Dongwoo help him.

The light is back in Dongwoo's eyes, his growing excitement evident in his wide smile and slight bouncing. Before he can say anything, though (probably to gush about how great being Sunggyu's teacher is going to be, Sunggyu guesses), the front door opens with a jingle of the bells. They both turn their heads to see Woohyun in the doorway. He's holding a large paper bag with an odd expression on his face. (It's odd to Sunggyu, at least. He's never seen that kind of look on his friend's face.) It's a mixture of hurt and confused.

"You didn't forget my soy sauce, did you?" Sunggyu's sure that's not the reason for the look, but he doubts Woohyun would tell him the truth willingly. Especially not with Dongwoo around—no matter how close they seem to have gotten. He'll just have to get him alone and squeeze it out of him.

There's a long pause as Woohyun's gaze slowly travels up from where Sunggyu’s and Dongwoo's hands are still clasped to Sunggyu's face. "Of course not," he answers. It sounds normal enough, but Sunggyu isn't buying it. Not even the smile Woohyun has on his face when he walks up to the counter and puts down the bag of food. "I even got you extra just in case."

Dongwoo finally lets go of Sunggyu's hand to pull open the bag. Seemingly oblivious to Woohyun's strange behavior, he empties the bag's contents onto the counter one by one, chattering away all the while. The smell of the food is a big enough distraction to Sunggyu that he doesn't notice Woohyun leaving until he's halfway across the store.

"You're not eating with us?" He's in the middle of opening a soy sauce packet with his teeth. His empty stomach is just a little more concerning than his friend's moodiness.

Woohyun gives a small shake of his head in answer when he turns around. "Later. I want to finish cleaning up the storage room before the boss shows up. You know how he gets." Truthfully, their boss is very particular about the organization of the store; he hates seeing the backroom in any sort of disarray. But that’s not the real reason why Woohyun’s skipping lunch.

"Do you want some help?" It's a wonder that Dongwoo isn't being paid for all the time he spends in the store. He's there for nearly the same amount of time as Sunggyu—when he's not busy keeping an eye on Howon. (Not stalking because that's creepy and Dongwoo is definitely not creepy.)

"I'll be okay," Woohyun objects. Again that weird look is on his face. It makes Sunggyu feel guilty for some reason. "Enjoy your lunch." With that he turns back around and continues up the stairs to the store's tiny storage room.

Sunggyu contemplates going up to talk to Woohyun. Although it seems like he won't want to, with just the right amount of cajoling Sunggyu's certain Woohyun will finally admit what's bothering him. He decides against it after a moment. It might be better to give Woohyun a little space first. Instead he turns his attention back to his food, pouring the soy sauce over his fried rice before digging in. Dongwoo is equally as focused on his lunch. They eat wordlessly with the sounds of Woohyun moving around upstairs as their background music. The atmosphere feels awkward suddenly, although Sunggyu thinks it's probably just him imagining things.

_Should I talk to him?_

"About what," Sunggyu asks. He and Dongwoo both look up at the same time. Dongwoo's eyes are wide as he stares back at Sunggyu. Amazed might be the best way to describe his look. With a touch of fear. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Dongwoo shakes his head, momentarily at a loss for words. "But I didn't say anything," he says quietly.

"Yeah, you did. You said—"

"No, I didn't _say_ anything," Dongwoo repeats. He looks at Sunggyu expectantly.

Now, Sunggyu knows for a fact that he's not an idiot. (Maybe he sometimes does idiotic things, but that's not the point.) He had been at the top of his class back when he was in school after all. But all of that book sense doesn't mean he's particularly skilled at picking up hints. Like the one Dongwoo's trying to send him now. "But I heard..." His voice trails off uncertainly when Dongwoo continues to stare him down. He takes a minute to think about Dongwoo's words. He says he didn't say anything, but Sunggyu is positive he'd heard it, clear as day, in his head. Unless... When he focuses back on Dongwoo he sees that the other is grinning. "You mean you..." Sunggyu's finding it incredibly difficult to finish his sentences for some reason.

"I think I know what your power is."

Sunggyu glances up at the storage room, panic driving his heart rate up. Everything that’s happened in the past month is starting to make sense. It’ll probably come back to bite him in the ass later, but still Sunggyu looks over at Dongwoo and says, "Don’t tell Woohyun."

 

\---

 

When Sunggyu had learned that Dongwoo had a strange power, he handled it pretty well. He didn't believe it at first (who would?), but he'd eventually come to support Dongwoo wholeheartedly. He'd kept his friend's secret and helped him to control and hone his power as best as he could. Now that Sunggyu is the one unexpectedly discovering a superhuman ability, though, he's not quite as put together. Even though things are finally making sense and Sunggyu doesn't have to worry about his sanity, he's still slow at adjusting. He spends the rest of the day silently freaking out and the following weekend calming himself down. Dongwoo proves himself to be the best best friend Sunggyu's ever had (which he won't ever tell Woohyun) by staying by the older man's side the entire time. He comforts Sunggyu when the headaches are at their worst and encourages him when he starts to doubt that he'll ever get the hang of being a mind reader. Sunggyu's pretty sure Dongwoo is the reason why he hasn't actually lost his mind. And not, of course, because Sunggyu really isn't losing his mind.

Teaching Sunggyu to control his power turns out to be just a bit above Dongwoo's skill level. His powers aren't as active as Sunggyu's. The figurative on/off switch had been easy for him to find and take control of. It's harder for Sunggyu; people are always thinking and he can't control which thoughts pop into his head just yet. With Dongwoo's suggestion of imagining a solid brick wall in his head, Sunggyu tries to block any wayward thoughts that might come his way. It works for the most part, but he has trouble splitting his attention between staying aware of his surroundings and keeping up the mental wall. Dongwoo assures him that he'll get better at it with time. Not that he would actually know.

It's only been a week and a half, but Sunggyu thinks he's made significant progress. Which he believes deserves a celebration. Dongwoo's not entirely convinced. "Wouldn't it make more sense if you waited until you learned how to control it completely," he asks. He's behind the counter with Sunggyu, pretending to be busy.

"Since when did you pass up an opportunity to drink?" Sunggyu's a second away from acting cute to get his way. He doesn't want to, but he knows it'll work.

Dongwoo turns to lean against the edge of the counter. There's an amused smile on his face as he retorts, "I think you're referring to yourself there." That's not completely untrue; Sunggyu does like to drink. But he's not the only one. Dongwoo enjoys it just as much. He doesn't even let the fact that he's a total lightweight slow him down.

"Dong _woo_." Sunggyu tries not to cringe as he holds out the second syllable of his friend's name. He'll be embarrassed about it later, right now he just needs his friend to agree to go out drinking with him. As he wraps his arms around Dongwoo from the side he gives him a small shake. "Do I have to use my ‘you-owe-me-more-favors-than-either-of-us-can-count’ card?" When Dongwoo lets out a deep sigh Sunggyu knows he's won. He nuzzles his face against the other's neck with a victorious smile pulling up the corners of his mouth. Dongwoo reaches up to pat Sunggyu's head affectionately. It's a warm moment between friends that's unfortunately interrupted by Woohyun.

_You're kidding me._

Sunggyu hears the thought before feeling Woohyun's presence. He looks up to see the other man standing over by the vintage records. His expression is unreadable to Sunggyu, but the tone of his voice in Sunggyu's head had been clear. Woohyun has been rather moody lately. He hardly wants to talk to Sunggyu or even be in the same room as him. He's obviously upset and Sunggyu's not so clueless that he can't guess that it's probably related to him keeping his powers a secret from Woohyun. There's no way Woohyun hasn't noticed that something's up; he and Dongwoo haven't been very subtle.

Dongwoo steps out of Sunggyu's hold, putting as much distance between the two of them as he can behind the counter. (Sunggyu finds it odd, but chooses not to question it.) "We were just..." He tries to explain, but his voice fades out without a good excuse. Sunggyu doesn't see the need for one.

"I'm leaving," is all Woohyun says after a long pause. There's a scowl on his face that he's clearly trying to hide. His eyes shift from Sunggyu to Dongwoo. "See you tomorrow." The words are stiff and insincere. Like he doesn't want to say them, but he's too polite not to. He ignores the wave that Dongwoo sends him as he stalks toward the door. The bells above it signal Woohyun's exit, the loud ringing in the quiet store almost mirroring his mood.

"What was that about," Sunggyu wonders out loud. He's used to Woohyun's passive-aggressive behavior; they've fought enough times that it's no surprise. He's just a bit confused as to why. If Woohyun knows Sunggyu's hiding something from him he wouldn't be dragging it out as long as he is now. He couldn't even wait an hour before demanding answers about Sunggyu's reunion with Dongwoo.

 _You're so stupid._ Dongwoo lets out a small squeak when Sunggyu's head whips around to look at him, his eyes narrowing. He'd momentarily forgotten about the mind reading. "You weren't supposed to hear that," Dongwoo says with an embarrassed laugh. He slips out from behind the counter as Sunggyu continues staring at him.

"How am I stupid?" Despite his initial response, Sunggyu actually isn't angry. He rests his forearms on the counter and cocks his head to the side, awaiting his friend's answer.

There's a pause while Dongwoo carefully chooses his words. "How do you think Woohyun feels right now," he asks as he stands in front of Sunggyu. The scene is similar to the first time Sunggyu had realized he had powers. Dongwoo's hand is already dangerously close to holding Sunggyu's. "He knows we're keeping something from him. He... He asked me about it. I didn't want to lie to him, but you should be the one to tell him. And I really wish you would. He thinks you don't trust him."

Sunggyu frowns, dropping his gaze down to his hands that are clenched into fists. With every word from Dongwoo he can feel the guilt piling up on his shoulders and making his heart sink deeper and deeper. "I do trust him," he argues. "He should know that."

"Then you should tell him the truth."

Sunggyu sighs, rubbing a hand across his face. Dongwoo's right. Of course he's right. It's not that Sunggyu doesn't want to tell Woohyun everything. He's sure the other will be some mixture of happy and understanding. It just doesn't feel as simple as saying "hey, guess what, I can hear people's thoughts".

"I'm not trying to pressure you into doing it right away," Dongwoo points out. He already has Sunggyu's hand in his own. "You can tell him whenever you're ready."

"Thank you." Sunggyu gives Dongwoo a small but grateful smile and his friend responds by squeezing his hand. _What would I do without Dongwoo_ , he thinks as the two of them enjoy their moment uninterrupted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This didn't turn out quite like I thought it would and I still don't know where this is going. Hoya finally shows up in this chapter (Sungyeol and Myungsoo were supposed to be here too, but things changed) and you get to know a bit more about Sunggyu's feelings for Woohyun (platonic and possibly romantic). Also, it was only a matter of time before Woohyun found out about Sunggyu's powers.

The first rule Sunggyu had made for himself after coming to terms with his telepathy was that he would never intentionally eavesdrop on his friends' thoughts. While it serves as good motivation to gain better control of his powers, it's also a line he won't cross. But he's now questioning exactly how morally wrong it would be to just take a little peek. It’s really the easiest way for Sunggyu to figure out what’s going on with Woohyun—without having to ask him directly, of course.

After days of Woohyun giving him the cold shoulder, Sunggyu is nothing short of surprised to see his friend on the other side of his (and Dongwoo's) front door. His arms are weighted down by several grocery bags full of fresh vegetables and raw meat and other random items. "Aren't you going to let me in," he asks with a smile that reaches his eyes, lighting them up in a way that Sunggyu has missed. He's missed Woohyun being genuinely happy to see him. Woohyun doesn't wait for Sunggyu's answer (not that one had been forthcoming) before brushing past him into the apartment.

Dongwoo rushes to help him carry the bags to the kitchen. "What's all of this?" He looks into one of the bags after placing it on the counter.

"It's probably been a while since you had a home-cooked meal," Woohyun says as he moves around the kitchen with the ease of someone who's spent a lot of time in it. He retrieves a pink polka dot apron from a hook near the doorframe. (Dongwoo hadn't noticed it before now in all the time he'd been living here. Probably because Sunggyu never wore it.) "And Sunggyu's a terrible cook, so there's no telling what you two have been eating. I figured I should come by and make you something." Rolling up his sleeves, he washes his hands and then fills a pot with water and sets it on the stove to boil.

"He really can't cook," Dongwoo agrees with a laugh. He stands at the counter unpacking the bags. Woohyun's probably brought more food than they currently have in the fridge. "I didn't know you could, though."

"Just well enough to get by," Woohyun admits modestly. Even with his back turned Sunggyu can still hear the smile in Woohyun's voice. The other has always liked hearing compliments, although he tries to hide it.

Sunggyu leans on the back of the couch in the living room and watches his two friends. He would go over and join them, but he doesn't know what to say. It feels like he and Woohyun had a fight and now Woohyun's being the bigger person and apologizing first. Sunggyu's starting to suspect that Dongwoo might've said something to him. Not the truth (because Sunggyu's supposed to tell him that), but something convincing enough for Woohyun to get over his anger. And Sunggyu's happy for that; happy to have his friend back. But there's still the guilt that's slowly eating him up inside.

Even though they haven't known each other as long as he and Dongwoo have, Sunggyu wouldn't hesitate to call Woohyun his best friend. He knows everything about Woohyun. Even the things Woohyun probably doesn't want him to know. And up until Dongwoo came back into the picture Sunggyu had been sure it went both ways. But now he's keeping such an important secret from Woohyun for reasons he's not entirely sure of just yet. Maybe he's afraid of Woohyun's reaction. Dongwoo had been one thing—he was a total stranger at the time. But Woohyun knows Sunggyu; he knows him better than almost anyone. Maybe Sunggyu is trying to protect him. From what, he doesn't know. His powers are hardly dangerous and he doesn't think he'll ever become good enough for them to be considered dangerous. Or maybe Sunggyu doesn't want it to change things between the two of them. Woohyun had obviously been jealous of Dongwoo at first. He's known Sunggyu longer and is much closer to him. Woohyun might feel left out now that Sunggyu and Dongwoo have something like this in common. That's the last thing Sunggyu wants.

_You can join us, too, if you want._

Dongwoo's voice in his head brings Sunggyu back into the moment. He's gotten better at hearing the difference between spoken words and thoughts. The latter have a bit of an echo to them, like Dongwoo's does now. When Sunggyu looks back into the kitchen he sees that Woohyun is busy chopping up vegetables while Dongwoo stirs whatever's in the pot. Even though Dongwoo's attention is focused on Woohyun, Sunggyu can tell the other is waiting for him to come over. He hesitates for a second, his eyes going to the back of Woohyun's head, before pushing off of the couch and heading to the kitchen.

"So what's your plan for this Howon guy?" Woohyun's asking Dongwoo when Sunggyu steps into the room. He glances at the older man, a neutral expression on his face when their eyes meet.

Sunggyu looks away first. His face feels hot for some strange reason. The kitchen is a bit warmer than the rest of the apartment at the moment; that must be why. He stands on Dongwoo's other side, leaning a shoulder on the fridge. Woohyun's not the only one curious about how Dongwoo plans on gaining Howon's trust.

Dongwoo pauses his stirring so Woohyun can add the diced radish. "I'm still not sure," he answers with a slight frown. "I've been a little too distracted lately to think about it." He exchanges a quick look with Sunggyu. It doesn't help to lessen the other's guilt knowing that Dongwoo's original mission had been deferred because of him.

"Why don't you try approaching him again," Woohyun suggests. He opens the cupboard in search of the right spices to add to what Sunggyu realizes is soup slowly cooking on the stove. "Since it's been a while, maybe he'll be willing to listen to you this time."

"It's worth a shot," Sunggyu agrees. Dongwoo continues stirring as he thinks it over. "I'll go with you if you want," he offers, "you know, to vouch for you if he doesn't believe you."

"Me, too." Woohyun gives Dongwoo a lopsided grin when he looks over at him in surprise.

Dongwoo glances at Sunggyu before smiling himself. "Okay, let's do it."

With the combined effort of the three of them, they manage to make a decent lunch. Or, at least, it’s nearly decent. The soup turns out way too salty; not even copious amounts of water can save it. Woohyun stays for another hour after they finish eating. He and Dongwoo brainstorm plans for approaching Howon while Sunggyu pretends to watch TV. He’s still considering making an exception to his first rule. Even though he and Woohyun have barely said anything to each other, he doesn’t feel like it’s because Woohyun’s still mad at him. But at the same time, he’s not entirely convinced that things are okay between them. He stops the other man as he’s leaving, pulling the door almost fully closed even though he knows Dongwoo won’t eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Are we..." Sunggyu pauses, almost regretting opening his mouth. He clears his throat before continuing. "Are we okay now? You're not still mad at me?"

"Who says I was mad at you?" At Sunggyu's skeptical look Woohyun gives an embarrassed laugh. "Okay, I was a little mad at you," he admits. "But, yeah, we're good now."

The sincerity in his smile is exactly the reassurance Sunggyu had been looking for. The meal Woohyun had made was like an apology of sorts. Although not one Sunggyu had expected to get. If anything, he should be the one apologizing. "Good. That's, um, good." His stomach does a weird dance at the chuckle that comes from Woohyun. It's never done that before. He clears his throat again. Now is probably a good time to say goodbye.

Woohyun shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket and steps closer to Sunggyu. He takes a deep breath before speaking. "Do you... know why I was mad at you?" He holds Sunggyu's gaze, looking both hopeful and anxious.

Sunggyu hesitates in giving his answer. He'd been sure that Woohyun was upset about being left out, but now he's doubting that. He wouldn’t be asking if that were the case. "Um, I think so." He considers changing his answer at Woohyun's disappointed "oh". That must not be the answer the other wanted.

"Don’t worry about it," Woohyun waves him off. His smile is clearly forced this time. "We’re good, okay?"

Sunggyu has a harder time believing it’s true.

 

\---

 

At first Sunggyu thinks it's a stroke of luck. It's just Dongwoo and him at the store (Woohyun's off and Sunggyu feels bad for being relieved that he isn't there). Sunggyu is busy organizing the new stock display when the bell above the door jingles. He doesn't bother turning around since Dongwoo's behind the counter.

"Hi, how can I—" Dongwoo's cheery welcome cuts off suddenly. _Sunggyu, it's him._

Dongwoo's panicked voice in his head jolts Sunggyu, making him drop one of the CDs he'd been shelving. He spins around fast enough to make him momentarily dizzy. When his vision clears he sees Dongwoo backed against the wall with a guy—Howon, he guesses—on the other side of the counter. Sunggyu doesn't think before he acts. Or take another second to really look at the scene in front of him and see that although he's surprised, Dongwoo isn't actually afraid or in danger. His protective instincts kick in almost immediately, taking him across the store in a few long strides. He puts himself in between his friend and Howon who takes a step back. The bell above the door jingles even though the door itself doesn't open.

"Can I help you?" Sunggyu crosses his arms across his chest. He's not much taller than the other man, but that won't stop him from acting like he is. Despite the hint of muscles underneath the guy's shirt, he's sure he can take him.

Howon bristles at Sunggyu's hard tone, his eyes narrowing. "I just want to talk to him," he replies equally as brusque. _Not that it's any of your business._

Sunggyu opens his mouth to tell him why this is very much his business when Dongwoo grips onto his shoulder. "It's okay," Dongwoo says. His voice is calm and steady, any trace of panic is gone from his face. He gives Sunggyu a small but reassuring smile. "We'll just talk."

Although he steps to the side, Sunggyu doesn't go very far. He and Howon exchange glares before the latter turns his attention back to Dongwoo. "I've been looking for you," he states.

"Me," Dongwoo asks incredulously. Sunggyu's also caught off guard. Although they'd hoped Howon had come around to the idea of having superhuman powers, they hadn't considered that the other man would be so willing. That he would come looking for Dongwoo.

Howon softens slightly, his shoulders losing some of their tension. "You said you could help me." When Sunggyu looks past the other man’s scowling face and arrogant attitude, he sees that Howon is going through the same thing he had gone through. He’s scared, of himself and his powers, and he just wants to gain some sense of control. (Or maybe Sunggyu is just projecting.)

"I can—or I can try, at least." The disbelief hasn't faded from Dongwoo's voice; like he's still amazed that Howon is standing in front of him. "What made you change your mind?"

"Well, I..." Howon trails off as he casts a wary glance at Sunggyu.

Dongwoo catches on quickly. "Oh right, this is my friend Sunggyu. You can talk about it in front of him," he assures the other man. "He knows everything."

"We have more in common than you think," Sunggyu says with a smirk. He's not even trying, but he can read Howon like a book. All of his thoughts flow into Sunggyu's mind in an almost endless wave. Sunggyu can't help but be grateful that he's so much better at controlling his powers. Had it been a couple of weeks earlier, he would have already cracked from the amount of information he's currently receiving.

_What the hell's that supposed to mean?_

Howon tenses at the same time the bells above the door jingle again, more violently this time. Dongwoo and Sunggyu both turn their heads toward the sound. It's hard to believe that Howon doesn't have control over his powers when he hadn't even flinched. Dongwoo hurries from behind the counter—over it, really; the flip-up door is merely a suggestion to him—and tries to smooth things over. Which he's actually good at.

"He means that he's like us. He has powers too."

"What kind of powers?"

Sunggyu starts to answer, but Dongwoo cuts him off. "We can get into that later. Tell me what happened to make you change your mind." It's not often that Dongwoo sounds authoritative; mostly because there isn't really a need for it. But now, he doesn't leave room for argument as he's pretty much commanding Howon to talk.

The change is just as shocking to Howon, who gapes at Dongwoo for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I, uh, I almost broke my friend’s nose with a book. I mean, it missed, but it was still close. Before I could pretend that it wasn’t me making things move because I never _meant_ to do it. This time, though, I really meant it. Well, I was thinking about it and then it happened, but I wasn’t trying to hurt him. That’s the last thing I want."

Moved by the regret in Howon’s voice, Dongwoo reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder. His eyes hold the same amount of concern and understanding as they did when he’d comforted Sunggyu about his newfound ability. Even his words are the same. "It’s hard at first, but it’ll get easier."

Sunggyu expects Howon to scoff at the idea; that had been his initial reaction. It was hard enough to believe he had superpowers let alone that he would ever know how to use them. He doesn’t blame Howon if he’s skeptical.

But, surprisingly, Howon sighs in relief instead. “Thank you,” he says, laying a hand on top of the one Dongwoo still has on his shoulder. Dongwoo gives him one of his brilliant winning smiles and Howon responds with a more subdued one of his own. Sunggyu would be miffed— _not_ jealous; he has no reason to be jealous—about the impromptu bonding the two of them are having, but a realization dawns on him. Howon is so ready and willing to believe Dongwoo because he’s been dealing with this by himself for much longer than Sunggyu. And he doesn’t have to be alone anymore; there’s someone who wants to help, someone he can trust. Not for the first time (and definitely not the last), Sunggyu feels his chest well with pride. Dongwoo is so much more amazing than either of them ever give him credit for. He couldn’t be anymore grateful to have a best friend like him.

 

\---

 

Sunggyu had never thought of himself as the waiting up type, mostly because he'd never had anyone to wait up for. But eleven-thirty rolls around and he finds himself alone in his apartment sitting on the couch staring blankly at the TV. Dongwoo had left a few hours before without telling Sunggyu where he was going or when he'd be back. Sunggyu knows his friend is a full-grown adult who's capable of taking care of himself; the two years they'd spent apart is proof enough. But he can't help that he's worried about Dongwoo, especially when he doesn't know what he's doing or who he might be with. It's not that he doesn't want to call him to briefly check in—he knows how to play it cool (despite whatever Woohyun might say). He just doesn't want to impose. Maybe Dongwoo had a date that he didn't want to tell Sunggyu about. (He spends most of his time at the record store, but it's still a possibility.) Either way, Sunggyu doesn't want to interrupt.

He's just started drifting off to an infomercial about frying pans when the door knob jiggles. There's a grunt from the other side of the door as he sits up on the couch. He takes a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes before getting up and walking to the front door. For the second time in less than a week Sunggyu is surprised to find Woohyun on the other side of the door.

"Oh, you're still up." Woohyun manages to sound casual despite having Dongwoo draped over his back. His arm is still stretched out where he'd been trying to unlock the door. Sunggyu makes himself useful by taking the key from him and stepping to the side. "Thanks," Woohyun huffs sarcastically.

Sunggyu waits for him to shuffle into the apartment before closing the door and moving to help with their passed out friend. They lug Dongwoo into Sunggyu's bedroom and lay him carefully on the bed. Sunggyu eases him out of his jacket while Woohyun pulls off his shoes. Dongwoo remains dead to the world throughout all of it. Together it only takes them a couple minutes to tuck him in and make sure he's comfortable. (Sunggyu silently prays Dongwoo doesn't throw up any time during the night—not that he'll be the one to clean it up.)

Woohyun is quiet as they slip out of the room and Sunggyu feels the need to make up for it. "Dongwoo didn't tell me he was going out with you." He takes a seat on the couch, expecting Woohyun to join him.

"I asked him not to," Woohyun responds. He remains standing next to the couch.

Suddenly it feels like they've taken two steps back. And the last thing Sunggyu wants is for Woohyun to be mad at him again. Especially when he doesn't know the reason. He reaches out for Woohyun's hand, conscious of the weird feeling in his gut, and pulls him to sit down. "Why," he asks simply.

Woohyun stares down at their connected hands lying between them. A minute passes without him saying anything. Whether it's because he's thinking or he doesn't want to answer the question, Sunggyu doesn't know. If it were a couple months earlier he would have already badgered Woohyun into talking—or maybe the other wouldn't be reluctant to talk in the first place. But as it is now, he can only wait for Woohyun to open up.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The question throws Sunggyu for a moment. He looks at the other in confusion. There's only one thing he hasn't told him. It can't be... "Dongwoo told me," Woohyun informs him when he sees the realization dawn on Sunggyu. "He didn't mean to and I swear I didn't mean for it to happen either, but we were drinking and he went a little overboard and I didn't stop him until after it all came out. I know you told him not to tell me. Because you were supposed to tell me. And I wanted to respect that—I really tried to, but I—" He cuts himself off as he looks away from Sunggyu. Pulling his hand from under the other's, Woohyun rests both of his hands in his lap, clasping them together tightly.

"I was going to tell you," Sunggyu insists. (He's all too aware of how cold his hand feels without Woohyun's. He ignores it.) As much as he tries to sound sincere he doubts Woohyun believes him.

"Don't you trust me?" Woohyun's voice is close to a whisper. Like he's as afraid of asking the question as he is of the answer. He still won't look at Sunggyu.

The question feels like a kick in the stomach. Or maybe Sunggyu is just being hyperbolic. Unconsciously, his hands tighten into fists. "Why would you think that," he throws back. He's not sure if this is still about his powers. It doesn't seem like it. "Of course I trust you. If this is because Dongwoo—"

"This isn't about Dongwoo!" The intensity in Woohyun's eyes as he finally looks at Sunggyu is strong enough to curb any argument he had been about to make. "I just wish you'd told me yourself. Earlier and because you really wanted me to know. Because you trust me."

The guilt Sunggyu had felt before is nothing compared to how he feels now. He knew hiding his powers from Woohyun was a bad idea. And seeing how much it had affected him makes Sunggyu regret his decision. "I had my reasons for not telling you, but now they seem more like excuses. Just know that it was never because I didn't trust you. Or because I trusted Dongwoo more."

Woohyun is silent for a long while, his gaze still fixed on Sunggyu. The older man tries his best not to look away. The way Woohyun is looking at him feels different than usual. It's serious with a touch of vulnerability and it turns the air between them more intimate than any other time in their friendship. It makes Sunggyu nervous and little bit of something else. (Excited? Confused? He doesn't know, but he's not ready to deal with it yet.)

_No, it can wait. This isn't the right time._

Sunggyu catches himself before he can ask what that's supposed to mean. That wasn't for him to hear. Keeping his expression neutral, he reaches over to rest his hand on both of Woohyun's. He doesn't miss the way the other tenses at the contact. Or the strain in his voice when he finally speaks.

"It's getting late," Woohyun says as he rises from the couch, leaving Sunggyu's hand cold for a second time. "We can talk more tomorrow." He doesn't bother faking a smile.

Although Sunggyu wants to ask Woohyun what it is he can't tell him yet, he stays seated and watches him leave instead. There's something the younger man isn't ready to share and Sunggyu is willing to wait until he is. Because he trusts Woohyun.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's pretty short, but since it's been a while since I updated this I figured I should post something. This is essentially all about woogyu despite appearances by Dongwoo and Hoya. (Myungsoo's definitely going to show up in the next chapter. I can't say the same for Sungjong and Sungyeol.) Things finally start moving with Sunggyu and Woohyun, but don't get your hopes up because Sunggyu's still an idiot. Enjoy~

"What's going on with you and Woohyun," Dongwoo asks Sunggyu in a hushed voice as he leans across the table. Woohyun's just gotten up to go to the bathroom. Dongwoo glances at his retreating figure to make sure he hadn't heard.

It's been a couple days since Woohyun found out about Sunggyu's powers. While they've both been trying to pretend nothing's changed, there's no hiding the fact that things are definitely different. The easy and open relationship they'd had seems awkward now; like they're forcing their friendship. It’s exactly what Sunggyu had been afraid would happen. Except he doesn't think Woohyun is jealous. Just hesitant. But Sunggyu can't blame him. Even though Sunggyu's gotten much better at blocking outside thoughts and he's assured Woohyun that he won't intentionally read his mind, sometimes things slip through the cracks. He can understand why the other might be tentative about spending time with him. (Especially when he's keeping his own secrets from Sunggyu.) It still stings, though.

Sunggyu shrugs, resisting the urge to turn his head to look in Woohyun’s direction. Howon had offered to take them out for dinner and, as someone who would never say no to free food, Sunggyu had immediately accepted for the three of them. He didn't even need to know the reason. He stuffs a whole dumpling in his mouth and pushes it to one side so he can talk. "There's nothing going on between me and Woohyun." (He does too know how to play it cool.)

"That's kind of the problem."

Sunggyu turns his head sharply to look at Howon who's seated next to Dongwoo. "What's that supposed to mean?" Howon starts to answer, but a hard jab from Dongwoo's elbow makes him wince. He occupies himself with his half-empty glass of beer instead, rubbing the sore spot on his side grumpily. "Does he know about Woohyun, too," Sunggyu asks Dongwoo. "How does he know before me?"

Somehow everyone seems to know whatever it is Woohyun's not ready to tell Sunggyu. Everyone except Sunggyu, that is. It makes him wonder if it's something incredibly obvious that he should have noticed by now. And maybe that's why Woohyun had been mad at him. Or it could be that he doesn't trust Sunggyu like he did before. Somewhere in between Dongwoo's surprising arrival and Sunggyu's even more surprising powers there must have been a moment where Woohyun felt like he didn't know the man he'd been calling his best friend. A moment where he started to doubt the friendship they’d built over the past two years. That could explain why Woohyun's hesitating on telling him.

Howon scoffs into his glass and fixes Sunggyu with a judging look. "I just have eyes," he says dryly. He dodges another elbow jab from Dongwoo.

"Why is everyone being so cryptic about this," Sunggyu wonders out loud to himself. What exactly could Woohyun be hiding from him?

"It doesn't matter who knows what," Dongwoo tells him, a hint of reproach in his voice. "When Woohyun wants you to know, he'll tell you."

Sunggyu can only sigh. He wants to give Woohyun the time and space to work up the courage to be honest with him—he owes him that much. But at the same time, his curiosity is driving him crazy. He drops his head onto the table next to his bowl and groans.

"You're full already? Are you sick?" Woohyun's voice is bright with amusement and when Sunggyu looks up at him he sees the smile on his face. He takes his seat next to Sunggyu, unaware that he's just interrupted a conversation about himself. "In all the time I've known him, Sunggyu's never finished eating so fast," he says to the other two. Dongwoo laughs along with him, the sound surprisingly genuine.

(Sunggyu's always envied how easily his friend can adapt to new situations. And how good he is with people. Not that Sunggyu's particularly bad at it. It's just that it seems like Dongwoo doesn't even have to try to make anyone feel comfortable around him; it's as natural to him as breathing. Sunggyu wishes it could be as effortless for him. Maybe then he and Woohyun wouldn't currently be awkwardly dancing around each other.)

"I don't know anything about that," Howon chimes in, "but if you want to see an actual human vacuum I'll introduce you to my friend Myungsoo. I'm pretty sure he can eat more than the four of us combined."

"You should bring him by the store," Dongwoo suggests, downing the last of his beer. Sunggyu had insisted that that be his last glass as no one wants to have the "honor" of dragging him home. He's not even close to tipsy, but the other three men had outvoted him so his next drink will have to be something non-alcoholic.

Howon makes a noncommittal sound and looks down at his empty plate.

"Does he not know about your powers?" Woohyun keeps his voice low despite the fact that the restaurant is busy enough that the noise from the other customers easily drowns out their conversation. It doesn't hurt to be careful.

"No, but I'm sure he's guessed it by now."

Dongwoo nudges him in the ribs again, this time in a more playful way. "You say that like it's a bad thing. It helps to have at least one person on your side. Someone you can trust. I don't think I could've gotten this far if it wasn't for Sunggyu. He was the only person I trusted to tell about my powers when I first found out. And he's always had my back no matter what." He smiles over at Sunggyu who had raised his head at the sound of his name. "And you're lucky," Dongwoo continues as he turns his attention back to Howon. "You have three other people to watch your back if you want us to."

Howon glances up, his eyes flickering between Dongwoo, Sunggyu, and Woohyun. "It's probably too late to try to get rid of you guys anyway," he sighs. He says it with a resigned sigh, but Sunggyu can sense his relief. He wants their help—needs it, really—even if he doesn't want to admit it.

Dongwoo is all smiles as he pulls Howon into a hug. Howon goes along with it, smiling despite his surprise at the sudden display of affection from a man he'd only met a few days ago. The mood feels lighter at the table now. Or maybe the dark cloud that had been hanging just over Sunggyu finally clears. Either way, the rest of the meal passes by with jokes and light teasing. Howon slowly starts to open up as the night progresses. He and Dongwoo hit it off right away. They practically ignore Sunggyu and Woohyun as they get to know more about each other. Sunggyu doesn't mind, though. He can see that Howon's not as bad as his first impression had led him to believe. And if Dongwoo likes him, then Sunggyu's willing to give him a chance as well.

 

\---

 

Dongwoo and Howon ditch them after dinner with an excuse that’s clearly poorly thought out. Although Sunggyu catches a couple of panicked thoughts from him, Woohyun doesn't put up much of a fight. He isn't completely opposed to being alone with Sunggyu. Which is a relief. But in all the time Sunggyu has been friends with Woohyun—in all the time he's known him, there's never been as long of a silence between the two of them as there is now. Not even when they were fighting.

They've been driving around in Woohyun's car for almost twenty minutes. There isn't a destination in mind, mostly because neither of them could agree on one. Despite the circumstances Sunggyu is enjoying their time together; another thing about Woohyun he hadn’t realized he would miss until it was gone. He knows he shouldn't have expected things to always be the same between them (even before Dongwoo and their superpowers and whatever else has happened in the last couple of months). Relationships change, friendships change, everything changes; that's just a fact. But now that there's this unspoken tension between them, he can't help missing the old days. Laughing and joking with Woohyun, confiding in him, or really just talking to him. They used to talk about everything; from simple, trivial things to deep conversations. They used to be so close.

"How are you not weirded out by all of this?" It's a question Sunggyu's wanted to ask Woohyun for a while. Throughout everything that's happened, his friend has remained surprisingly calm. Sunggyu had expected more skepticism or fear or panic.

Woohyun glances at Sunggyu briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. "All of what?"

" _This_ ," Sunggyu gestures vaguely. "This science-fiction-comic-book-type thing. None of it makes any sense, but you accepted all of it so easily and you don't even seem afraid of us or what we can do. I just... I don't understand how you're so willing to believe us. Especially me and Howon considering you haven't actually seen what we can do."

"I don't need to," Woohyun says. His eyes are still trained on the road, but Sunggyu doesn't have to look into them to know Woohyun's being honest. It's clear in his voice. "I trust you."

There's a familiar fluttering in Sunggyu's stomach. He brushes it off as relief. He'd been unsure of where he stood with Woohyun, of what their friendship had become. And now Woohyun is telling him that he trusts him and Sunggyu feels a smile stretching across his face. Things might change, but that's not always a bad thing.

"You don't mind hanging out with a bunch of freaks like us," he asks.

"You guys aren't freaks." As they come to a red light Woohyun looks over at him. There's a smile on his face to match Sunggyu's. "Well, maybe by certain definitions of the word," he corrects himself at the disbelieving look Sunggyu gives him. "But not to me."

Sunggyu only realizes they've been staring at each other when the car behind them honks. They both jump and face forward. "The light's green," Sunggyu says uselessly as Woohyun steps on the gas. They fall into another silence, the sounds of the tires on the asphalt and the radio filling up the car. Sunggyu can feel his heart still racing in his chest. His cheeks are getting warmer and the fluttering in his stomach feels like it's been magnified by a thousand.

By the time he gets his heart rate under control and tames the blush on his cheeks, Woohyun is pulling up in front of his apartment. He stifles his sigh of relief. Even though it had been nice, things have turned awkward and Sunggyu doesn't think being together in such a small space is going to make it any less so. He has his hand on the door handle, a quick thanks to Woohyun for going out of his way to drop him off on the tip of his tongue, when Woohyun stops him with a hand on his arm. Sunggyu turns to look at his friend in confusion. "There's something I need to tell you," Woohyun says quietly.

"Oh?" Sunggyu tries not to seem too eager. He's been dying for Woohyun to finally talk to him; so much so that he's sure the other must have realized it by now. "What's up?" He cringes inwardly at how transparent he sounds.

Woohyun doesn't seem to notice. In fact, he looks a lot like he's regretting opening his mouth. His hands are gripping the steering wheel tightly enough to turn his knuckles white as he chews contemplatively on his bottom lip. Whatever he has to say must not be easy. Sunggyu reaches for Woohyun's shoulder and gives him a reassuring squeeze. Another minute passes before the younger man decides to speak. He switches the car off first and then shifts in his seat to face Sunggyu, keeping his seatbelt buckled. "Has anyone ever told you what an idiot you are?" He doesn't wait for Sunggyu's response. (How is he even supposed to respond to that? It's probably rhetorical.) "I've been trying to let you figure it out on your own, because I thought it was obvious—I mean, even Howon figured it out and I met him three days ago. So it really shouldn't take you this long."

The more Woohyun talks, the more confused Sunggyu gets. "I'm still waiting for you to tell me whatever it is you wanted to tell me," he states. Being called an idiot isn't really the announcement he was expecting.

Woohyun huffs in frustration. There's a frown on his face when he turns to look at Sunggyu. "You see; this is why it's so hard being in love with you. I have to spell it out for you for you to know in the first place."

"Well, I'm sorry I—wait, what?" Sunggyu deflates before he can finish the sarcastic comment. The anger he'd felt dissipates and leaves him vacillating between confusion and surprise. Woohyun just said he loves him—that he's _in love_ with him. His mouth is hanging open in the most unattractive way. "How long..." That's about as much as he can get out.

Woohyun's voice is small when he answers, all of the fight gone in the wake of his confession. Yet he still holds Sunggyu's gaze. "Almost a year."

Knowing Woohyun, he probably knows how long it's been down to the minute. He would remember something like that. But Sunggyu chooses not to press him on it. "Why didn't you tell me before," he asks instead. Woohyun had said he was waiting for Sunggyu to figure it out himself, but that couldn't have been his plan from the start.

"I thought about it; I even planned on doing it, but..." Woohyun looks down at his lap. It's hard to tell with only the light from a streetlamp shining through the windshield, but it seems like he's embarrassed. "I was scared," he admits and now Sunggyu's completely sure that he is. Much like Sunggyu, Woohyun doesn't like letting others see when he feels vulnerable; when he feels weak. Sometimes Sunggyu is the exception to that rule. Woohyun trusts him enough to let him in. He lets him see the man behind the front he tends to put up. Now appears to be one of those times and Sunggyu knows he should tread carefully. This is about Woohyun's feelings for him and his heart, essentially.

"Did you think I would reject you?"

Woohyun nods slowly, his shoulders slumping and his head sinking lower. "And that we'd stop being friends because of it. Even if I can't be with you in that way, I still need you in my life. I still want to be your friend."

Sunggyu doesn't think before he reaches out. He tilts Woohyun's head up with a gentle hand under his chin. It's hard to name the emotion in Woohyun's eyes as he stares wide-eyed at Sunggyu. Probably because there are quite a few of them. "I need you, too," Sunggyu confesses. It feels weird to say the words. He's never had to say them, to Woohyun or anyone else. But he means it. Woohyun is important to him. Even if it's hard for him to show it doesn't make it any less true.

_Please kiss me._

Sunggyu's eyes immediately drop down to Woohyun's lips. The thought probably wasn't intended for him (Woohyun doesn't look like he's ready to be that bold), but now that he's heard it he can't just ignore it. He should do something about it.

Woohyun's eyes grow even wider as Sunggyu leans in. He sees a mixture of fear and excitement in them before they flutter shut. Sunggyu hesitates for a second, the realization that he's about to kiss his best friend—that he _wants_ to kiss his best friend—finally sinking in. He'd never imagined doing anything like this with Woohyun. He's always thought of Woohyun as a friend and assumed that the other felt the same way. Yet here he is, diving head first into something he hasn't even fully thought through.

The first touch of their lips is just that. Sunggyu brushes his lips against Woohyun's lightly and Woohyun responds immediately. He presses their lips together firmly with an eagerness that's strangely reserved. He's not hiding his feelings for Sunggyu, but instead holding back from showing how strong they are. Which might explain why he pulls away first. He brings a hand up to cover the one Sunggyu still has on his chin.

"You heard me?"

Sunggyu's eyes blink open to find Woohyun right in front of him. He still looks equally scared and thrilled. Sunggyu nods after a moment when he makes sense of the question. Woohyun's lips are still on his mind.

"Does this mean—are you—I mean, do you—" Woohyun can't seem to settle on a question. He can't hide how hopeful he sounds or the smile on his face. _Do you love me, too?_

After such an intimate invasion of personal space it's only fitting to wonder where they stand with each other. Sunggyu can see the sense in that and his answer is easy. (In hindsight he'll remember that being honest still requires a good amount of tact.) "No," he says bluntly. He doesn’t need telepathy to hear the sound of Woohyun’s heart breaking in his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm at 20k words and I still don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm putting down train tracks as a train is coming. But despite that, I actually like how this chapter turned out. There are answers and some more questions and Myungsoo and Sungyeol show up finally (although Sungyeol doesn't get to say anything yet). Myungsoo ended up a lot sassier and sarcastic than I thought I was going to write him. I don't know how or why that happened; it just did. And because I like drama, there's a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter too. It's setting up Sungjong's introduction, though, so it's for a good cause. Also, I haven't really planned on including any other pairings in this besides woogyu, but if anyone has suggestions I'll consider them. I'll stop talking now. Enjoy~

Sunggyu wakes up to Dongwoo's smiling face. It's almost as blinding as the sun and just as unwelcome. There's only one reason why Dongwoo is in his room right now (and awake before him). With a groan, Sunggyu rolls over onto his side away from his unnaturally chipper friend. He doesn't have the energy to deal with anything at the moment. Especially anything to do with the night before. The look on Woohyun's face after Sunggyu had told him he wasn't in love with him is still fresh in his mind. He didn't even get a chance to explain himself.

"You know why I'm here, so we might as well get to it. What happened last night?" Dongwoo settles himself on Sunggyu's bed, leaning against the headboard. He pulls the covers down when Sunggyu tries to hide under them. _I'm not going anywhere._

Sunggyu groans again. Dongwoo'll probably just sit there and think at him until he caves. Hell, he could easily find the memory in Sunggyu’s head if he really wanted to. "Nothing happened last night," he lies. Dongwoo scoffs, but doesn't say anything. He can wait. "Okay, fine, we talked," Sunggyu admits. He turns onto his back to look up at Dongwoo.

"And?"

"And he told me he's liked me for a long time. That he's in love with me."

" _And_?"

Sunggyu hesitates. If he tells Dongwoo about the kiss, then he'll have to tell him what happened after it. He's beat himself up enough about it and he doesn't really need his friend to join in. Dongwoo nudges him, impatient to hear everything. "I sort of...kissed him." He pulls the covers back over his head at the loud gasp Dongwoo lets out.

"That's great," Dongwoo exclaims, bouncing slightly in his excitement. "He was so scared that you would turn him down when he finally told you. But I knew there was hope. I'm so happy for you two."

Guilt twists around in Sunggyu's stomach. Even though he has to stop Dongwoo before he gets ahead of himself, he's reluctant to actually do it. He pulls down the covers slowly. "Don't get too excited," he cautions his friend.

"Why not?"

"I screwed up."

The smile falls from Dongwoo's face instantly. "What did you do?"

He's said too much to go silent now, but that doesn't stop Sunggyu from wishing he could. He takes his time sitting up on the bed, stalling as best as he can. "I... I told him I didn't love him." At the moment it had seemed like the right thing to do. Woohyun was being honest with him and Sunggyu had thought he should be as well. Now he can see he should have thought things through a little more. Dongwoo is silent and Sunggyu can't bring himself to look at him. This is exactly why he didn't want to talk about it.

"Did you even think before you said that?" Dongwoo sounds so disappointed and Sunggyu feels like an even bigger jerk than he'd felt at the end of the night. He doesn't have anything to say for himself, so he stays quiet. "Why did you even kiss him, then? Why give him any hope if you were just going to snatch it away from him like that? I'm sure you weren't meaning to lead him on or anything, but that's how I'm seeing it right now."

"I wasn't. I wasn't trying to lead him on," Sunggyu argues weakly. He knows Dongwoo will believe him; he'll believe that Sunggyu wouldn't be so cruel to someone he calls a friend. "I don't really know how I feel about him. I’ve always thought of him as a friend and I always thought that’s how he thought of me. Maybe knowing how he feels is making me think differently now. I do know that I'm not in love with him—not yet, I guess, but I think the fact that I wanted to kiss him means there's something there. That I could like him more than I do now; that I could be with him. I should've talked about this with him instead of doing something so stupid. He probably hates me now, so it's only fair."

Dongwoo wraps his arm around Sunggyu's shoulder, pulling him closer. Sunggyu lets his head fall onto his friend's shoulder. "He doesn't hate you. He loves you too much for that.” (Sunggyu tries to ignore the dull ache in his chest at the mention of love. It’s still hard to wrap his head around it.) “He's hurt and the anger's probably set in by now, so he won't want to see you or talk to you for a couple days. But if you give him some time he might be willing to listen to you and you guys can work things out from there."

Of course Dongwoo is optimistic about this. He wouldn't be himself if he didn't look at everything from the bright side. "I don't even get why he's in love with me," Sunggyu sighs against Dongwoo's shirt. "I suck."

"You don't suck." Dongwoo's loud laughter fills up the room. Sunggyu finds himself smiling despite being determined to stay unhappy. Dongwoo has that kind of effect. "You're just a little dumb sometimes." Dongwoo laughs again at the offended sputtering the comment elicits from Sunggyu. "You can still fix things with Woohyun," he says confidently.

Sunggyu picks his head off of Dongwoo and turns to face him. "You think so?" He's not so sure that his friendship with Woohyun can be easily mended. He pretty much broke the other man's heart and even if he hadn't said what he did, there's no guarantee that things wouldn't have still ended up this way.

"Of course," Dongwoo smiles.

 

\---

 

_He said there'd be food_.

Sunggyu tries to turn the snort he lets out into a convincing sneeze. Judging by the three odd stares aimed at him, he's not doing a very good job. He clears his throat and fixes his gaze on the pouting man in front of him: Kim Myungsoo, Howon's close friend. For someone so obviously good-looking he doesn't act like it. He'd been quiet when he and Howon stepped into the store, looking around with innocent curiosity. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way it seems like he has more pressing matters on his mind.

"Don't worry," Sunggyu tries to assure him, "We were planning on eating soon."

Myungsoo's mouth falls open. "H-how did you—"

Howon looks apologetically at his friend. "I kind of haven't told him the whole truth about you guys," he admits to Sunggyu and Dongwoo. "Or myself."

"Told me what exactly?"

The other three men look at each other—or rather, Dongwoo and Sunggyu turn to Howon. Their gazes are expectant, waiting for him to do the talking. With a resigned sigh, Howon rests a hand on Myungsoo's shoulder. "Do you remember that time I threw that book at you?"

Myungsoo scoffs. "How could I forget? My nose was bruised for a week." The glare he sends Howon is strong enough to make Sunggyu nervous even though it's not directed at him. He makes a mental note to not piss Myungsoo off ever.

Although abashed, Howon continues explaining himself. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. It's just that sometimes when my emotions get out of hand—my anger, especially—I can't control myself. Or the things around me."

"What are you talking about," Myungsoo asks warily. Sunggyu can't hear any of his thoughts, but reading his face is easy enough. He's putting the pieces together and starting to see the full picture.

"Well, there's no easy way to put this, so I'll just say it: I can move things with my mind." Howon watches his friend's face carefully. He doesn't show a noticeable reaction, staring back at Howon without so much as a frown. "Say something," Howon urges him when the silence stretches to over a minute.

Myungsoo blinks slowly. "I was waiting for you to say you're joking. But you look serious."

"I am," Howon agrees. "You know how things are always moving when I'm around? Or I'll say I need something and then it ends up in my hands? I don't mean for any of that to happen, but it does."

"And what do they have to do with any of this?"

"They're like me, sort of. They can do things too."

Sunggyu recognizes the disbelieving look on Myungsoo's face. Woohyun had reacted the same way. The skepticism won't last long though.

"What kinds of things," Myungsoo questions, crossing his arms.

Thankfully for Howon, Dongwoo decides to speak up. "I can access memories and alter them or erase them. Depends on my mood," he jokes. Myungsoo gives him a tight-lipped smile before turning his eyes to Sunggyu.

Clearing his throat, Sunggyu dawdles a bit. It's only the second time he's revealed his powers to anyone. (Dongwoo and Woohyun don't count considering the ways they found out.) "I can... I can read minds," he admits. Even to him it sounds ridiculous and judging by the arch of one of Myungsoo's eyebrows, he thinks so too. "That's why I said what I did earlier. Because I knew you were thinking about food." _Why am I not surprised_ , he hears Howon think and follows it with a snort.

Myungsoo looks away briefly, flustered after being caught off guard. He regains his composure quickly; he's still committed to his skeptical act. "So you're telekinetic," he starts as he points to Howon who nods. His finger turns to Sunggyu next. "And you're a telepath?" Sunggyu nods as well. Lastly Myungsoo moves on to Dongwoo. "And you're..."

Dongwoo gives a short laugh. "I don't think there's a technical term for my powers," he replies. "But I’m open to suggestions."

Myungsoo’s smile is more genuine this time. It's not surprising that Dongwoo is the one to lighten his mood. That's kind of his second superpower. Myungsoo uncrosses his arms, the tension easing in his shoulders. "Assuming I believe you, this is the part where you guys show me what you can do."

Howon volunteers first. "I haven't had too much practice doing this," he cautions his friend. Which is very true; he and Dongwoo have spent more time getting closer as friends than getting any real mentoring done. He must have learned something, though, with the way his face turns serious as he focuses on the chimes above the front door. Stretching out his arm, Howon squints his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then with a quick flick of his hand...nothing happens.

A moment passes where no one says anything. Howon's face flushes red, his arm dropping limply to his side. Myungsoo turns to him with the most unimpressed expression. "You're off to such an impressive start," he comments sarcastically. The dig only flusters the other more. Myungsoo looks to Sunggyu and Dongwoo. "Howon's already set the bar so low I'm sure anything you do will be convincing."

"I guess I’m up then," Dongwoo says, the smile on his face partly from Howon’s failure and partly just his normal expression. "Unless you want Sunggyu inside your head again." The way Myungsoo pales is answer enough. Sunggyu doesn’t take the reaction to heart; he dislikes hearing people’s thoughts as much as he imagines people would dislike being heard. Plus, it also means Myungsoo believes in his powers.

When Dongwoo steps closer to Myungsoo, the other doesn’t flinch like Woohyun had. Most likely because he doesn’t see Dongwoo as a threat. Howon stands off to the side, seemingly using the moment as a learning experience. (Sunggyu won’t be surprised if he tries to redeem himself before the end of their little meeting.) Much like his demonstration with Woohyun, Dongwoo explains how he plans to prove his powers and instructs Myungsoo to think of a memory. Sunggyu finds it odd how easily Myungsoo follows Dongwoo’s orders. He’d expected more resistance or questions from him, but then again, he’s not Woohyun. Myungsoo seems to be so skeptical that he’s willing to go along with everything as if he wants to be convinced. He probably gets a kick out of saying "I told you so", Sunggyu concludes with an internal scoff. He checks back in to his current surroundings in time to see the look of surprise on Myungsoo’s face.

"This… is convincing," Myungsoo breathes out. He turns the little stone over in his hands, his eyes filled with enough awe to make Dongwoo beam.

_It’s not that great._

Sunggyu looks over at Howon with his eyebrows raising up to his hairline. He hadn’t expected such a jealous comment from the other man. Especially when he seems so fond of Dongwoo. Howon notices his staring and tries to school his face into a more passive expression.

_Not a word._

Normally Sunggyu wouldn’t take orders from someone younger than him—and definitely not from Howon. But to his surprise he doesn’t have anything against Howon, their first meeting notwithstanding. So, he chooses to consider this as him doing Howon a favor (and he will make sure the other knows that he owes him for it) and stays silent. He even goes as far as miming zipping his mouth shut while Dongwoo and Myungsoo aren’t looking. Howon rolls his eyes at the exaggeration, but manages an appreciative nod. Their quasi-moment is broken by Myungsoo.

"Oh, right," he says, turning to Howon. "Didn’t you say there were three people you wanted me to meet? I’ve been out of school for a couple years, but if my basic math is still correct, I’m only seeing two here."

For someone so good-looking, Kim Myungsoo is also a lot more sarcastic than Sunggyu had expected.

Howon must be used to his friend’s contradictory personality; he doesn’t even give a reaction. "I was going to ask you about that," he says to Dongwoo. "Was last night a bad idea? Did Sunggyu mess it up?"

"Hey, I’m right here!" Sunggyu’s affronted statement is promptly ignored by the other three men.

Dongwoo sighs heavily. "We probably jumped the gun on that one."

"Should’ve prepared him a bit before throwing him into the ring," Howon agrees.

"Still here."

"Am I the only lost one here," Myungsoo asks. The displeasure on his face makes him look like an upset five-year-old.

As if he’s congratulating Sunggyu on a job well done, Dongwoo walks over to him and wraps an arm around his waist. "I think Sunggyu should explain what happened. So we’re all on the same page." Three pairs of eyes turn to Sunggyu, waiting for him to recount how well he can put his foot in his mouth. And unfortunately for him, his audience shows no signs of leaving him alone until he gives them what they want. He’d already regretted what he said the night before, but now he regrets it even more.

 

\---

 

"I missed you." The confession comes out before Sunggyu can rethink voicing it, surprising Woohyun as well as himself. It's only been a couple days since he screwed up, but that's only given him more than enough time to feel worse about himself. And to come to a few conclusions. One of which is that he really does need Woohyun. He probably wouldn't have realized it if he hadn't unintentionally pushed the other away, but now he can see how true it is. Even though Dongwoo can undoubtedly be classified as an actual ray of sunshine, Sunggyu thinks Woohyun also has a room (and mood) brightening effect. He rarely fails to make Sunggyu smile or laugh or just happy in general. It's rather ironic that Sunggyu only realizes just how strong of a presence Woohyun has in his life after more than a day without so much as a text.

And now they're sitting across from each other in a small cafe around the corner from the record store. It feels a lot like a scene from one of those dramas Sunggyu definitely doesn't spend more than five minutes watching. Except, he really hopes Woohyun doesn't throw any water in his face. He takes a sip of his tea as he waits for his friend to respond. Not that he expects a similar confession. The fact that Woohyun chose to have them meet here, a public place instead of either of their homes or even the store, must mean that he's obviously still upset. And therefore not in a sentimental mood.

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that." Woohyun's smile is sad at the edges.

"Even if it's true," Sunggyu counters. He knows Woohyun means he shouldn't give him hope when their feelings aren't mutual.

Woohyun doesn't say anything, his eyes falling down to the polished wood of the table. _Especially if it's true_. The thought is full of a sadness that digs through Sunggyu's mind to press at the back of his eyes. Woohyun doesn't seem to notice that Sunggyu's heard him as he looks back up at the other and changes the subject. "The other night didn't go quite like I thought it would," he starts slowly. He picks nervously at a napkin, ripping off pieces bit by bit. "I mean, I wasn't expecting you to declare your undying love or anything like that, but I wasn't completely ready for what happened after I told you."

Sunggyu thinks back to the kiss they shared. That too had seemed like the right thing to do. "I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have kissed you. Not because I didn't want to," he rushes to clarify at the dejected look on Woohyun's face. "I did. It was—we should've talked more. It was all pretty sudden. I don't want you to think I was playing with you or your feelings because that's not something I would ever do. To you or anyone else."

"I know." He drops the half-torn napkin in favor of wrapping his hands around the mug of his coffee. "I wanted to believe you would do something like that so I could stay mad at you longer, but..." Woohyun shrugs as if that finishes the sentence and Sunggyu remembers what Dongwoo had said. _"He loves you too much to hate you."_ The idea still makes his stomach drop. He hasn't gotten used to the fact that there's someone in love with him. Or that that person is Woohyun.

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't speak to me for a month at least," Sunggyu says. As much as he'd wanted to explain himself, he was willing to give Woohyun whatever amount of space he needed. "I really hurt you and I feel like crap about it. I don't know if apologizing would even make a difference, but I still want to try." He considers reaching out to rest his hand on top of Woohyun's before deciding that probably isn't the best idea. "And I'd like to think I owe you an explanation too."

"The only thing worse than you rejecting me is you telling me why."

Sunggyu lets out an exasperated sigh. "That's not what I meant," he argues. He may be an oblivious idiot most of the time, but he's not that much of a jerk. "I wasn't trying to reject you before—well, no, I was, sort of, but now that I've had time to think about it—about us—I don't want to. It's different now."

Woohyun stares at him from across the table, a mixture of confusion, wariness, and hope furrowing his eyebrows and clouding his eyes. "What are you trying to say?" Sunggyu can't hear his thoughts, but he guesses there must be a lot more questions swirling around in his head.

"I don't love you. Not in the way that you want me to," he continues despite the hurt in Woohyun's eyes. He still needs to be honest. "But that doesn't mean I don't like you at all." Sunggyu takes Woohyun's silence to mean he understands what he's trying to say, so he keeps talking. "Before I'd never thought of you as anything other than a friend. But then you told me how you felt and you asked me to kiss you and even though I was caught off guard, I still wanted to. I wanted to kiss you and I liked kissing you." Embarrassed by the admittance, Sunggyu looks away from Woohyun. It's one thing to come to that realization on his own. Actually saying it out loud, and to Woohyun no less, is something entirely different. Almost like he's admitting his feelings without saying the actual words.

"So," Woohyun begins. He shifts in his seat; his confusion has made way for hesitance. "You're saying that you like me?" Sunggyu nods as he stares a hole into the table. "Really?"

The disbelief in Woohyun's voice makes the older man finally look up. "Is it that hard to believe," he can't help asking. He had thought Woohyun would be happier to hear that Sunggyu is even a little bit interested in him. Or maybe relieved.

Now Woohyun is the one looking embarrassed. But unlike Sunggyu he doesn't avoid eye contact. "No, it's just..." He hesitates and Sunggyu can hear him thinking of how to phrase the rest of the sentence. "After I realized that I loved you I was always hoping that you would realize it too. Or just suddenly feel the same. And I guess the more time I spent pining after you, the more I started to think you'd never want me. Even when I dropped hints, you didn't notice at all. But even though I kept telling myself that it was useless chasing after someone who doesn't even realize how much I love them, I couldn't just stop. I can't turn off loving you."

The familiar fluttering returns to Sunggyu's stomach. He wishes Woohyun had said all of this the night he confessed. It probably would've changed the end of their conversation. (At least, Sunggyu thinks it would have.) "I don't want you to," he says, garnering the courage to reach over to lay his hand on Woohyun's wrist. "You don't have to hide your feelings for me anymore." Woohyun looks down at where Sunggyu is holding him. His mouth seems to curve up into a tiny smile although he doesn't say anything. "I want to... I want us to try being together." It's not quite how Sunggyu had wanted it to come out, but he supposes it would sound awkward no matter what.

Minutes tick by as Woohyun stays quiet. Again, Sunggyu is left wondering what's going on in his friend's head. He understands why Woohyun might be wary of agreeing to such a drastic change in their relationship. It'll be hard for him when he likes Sunggyu more than Sunggyu likes him. And there's no guarantee that the older man won't disappoint him. So Sunggyu can only give an amicable nod when Woohyun says, "I need some time to think about this before I can give you an answer."

"Take all the—" Sunggyu's response is interrupted by a couple hard knocks on the window in front of which they're sitting. Both of their heads turn to see a man bent down to their eye level on the other side of the glass. Woohyun speaks before Sunggyu can voice his confusion.

"Sungyeol?" A large grin breaks out on the man's face as he reads Woohyun's lips. After holding up his finger to signal he'd only be a minute, the man—Sungyeol, apparently—walks away.

"You know him," Sunggyu asks. He's still rather confused considering he's never seen this guy before and Woohyun's never mentioned anyone named Sungyeol to him.

Turning in his seat to look at the door, Woohyun nods. "We went to school together," he answers absentmindedly. The door to the cafe swings open and Sungyeol strides in. His eyes are locked on Woohyun, a smile still splitting his face, and Woohyun returns the stare. Sunggyu suddenly feels like the third wheel.

The shout comes first. One of the cafe workers has an overloaded tray balanced in their hands when they trip over a chair leg. It looks like it's in slow motion the way the worker and the tray both go flying. Most of the ceramic mugs and plastic cups fall to the ground, while a couple arc in the air. And come falling down right in Sungyeol’s path. He brings his hands up to cover his face as Woohyun jumps up from his seat. He reaches the other man at the same time he stumbles forward and they crash into each other. Sunggyu’s out of his chair before the two of them hit the floor, but he still doesn’t reach them in time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to take a whole month to write this, but I got distracted by other ideas and lack of inspiration. Plus, it seems like I'm only capable of getting any real writing done late at night while listening to the same 3 albums. Hopefully this long chapter will be worth the wait. The gang's all here, more or less, and I think things should be getting interesting now. There's a lot of woogyu in this chapter and a bit of 2woogyu. (And there may be a kiss or two because I'm weak and couldn't wait for it.)

Sunggyu is out of his seat the second he notices Woohyun's eyelids fluttering open. He stops himself from squeezing onto the tiny hospital cot next to the other and settles for grabbing his hand. He brings his other hand up to hold Woohyun's cheek. His eyes fall on the small bump on the younger man’s head. "Woohyun," he calls out softly. He'd been so worried waiting for Woohyun to wake up. The doctor had said it was only a mild concussion and that even though they would check up on him once he woke up, there didn't seem to be any serious injuries. None of that had eased Sunggyu's mind, though. Woohyun was hurt and he couldn't do anything to prevent it or to help him now. (The fact that he'd fought tooth and nail for a private room is hardly something to brag about.) All he could do was wait.

It takes a moment for Woohyun's eyes to focus. They rake over Sunggyu's face, unreadable but clear. Sunggyu takes that as a good sign. Whatever he's searching for he seems to find as he squeezes Sunggyu's hand and gives him a weak smile. It looks like he has tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "You're here," he says.

"Where else would I be?" He might as well have said he loves Woohyun back with the way the other man is looking at him. Maybe that’s what Woohyun thinks he’s implying; he’s by his side because he loves him. There is some truth to that. He does feel something for Woohyun and that’s partly why he’d spent the last two hours waiting for him to wake up, aside from making sure he’s okay. In the back of Sunggyu's mind there's a voice telling him he shouldn't be leaning down. He shouldn't be thinking about kissing Woohyun or actually getting ready to do it. Especially not when Woohyun is in such a vulnerable state, physically and emotionally. It'll only complicate things more. That's what Sunggyu tries to tell himself. All while he's still leaning closer to Woohyun, the distance between their lips getting smaller. He's so consumed with talking himself into and out of kissing Woohyun, that he doesn't hear the door sliding open. At the surprised sound that comes from the doorway, Sunggyu straightens and turns to see who's interrupted them.

"I-I didn't mean to—sorry, I'll let you—" Sungyeol stutters, making as if to leave.

Sunggyu stops him before he gets more than a step away. He doesn't know if he's relieved or annoyed by the taller man's sudden appearance. "You don't have to leave," he says. "I'll go." Woohyun grips his hand tighter. _Why?_ The thought is panicked, very unlike Woohyun. _It must be pretty confusing_ , Sunggyu thinks as he stares into Woohyun's anxious eyes. Woohyun's only been awake for five minutes and it seems like so much has happened already. And before that he'd been unconscious for a couple hours. He has a lot to process now. With a wary glance at Sungyeol, Sunggyu turns to his friend. "I promised Dongwoo I'd call him when you woke up," he explains to Woohyun carefully. Dongwoo had wanted to come to the hospital, but Sunggyu insisted on him staying at the store. Woohyun isn't in serious condition and he doesn't need a bunch of people crowding his room. (If Sunggyu is honest, those are just excuses. He'd selfishly wanted Woohyun to himself despite the circumstances. Obviously, that hadn't panned out; Sungyeol's presence is proof enough.)

Woohyun nods in understanding. He lets go of Sunggyu's hand, the frown on his face evening out. With one last look at Woohyun, Sunggyu excuses himself from the room. Sungyeol offers him a polite smile on his way out. Whatever the other man's relationship really is with Woohyun, Sunggyu doubts he could ever truly dislike him. His face seems too innocent for Sunggyu to hold anything against him.

Sunggyu slides the door shut behind him and goes to sit on the wooden bench across from Woohyun's room. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Sunggyu turns on the screen to find a dozen missed calls and unread texts from Dongwoo and Howon. He doubts the latter willingly contacted him; Dongwoo probably coerced him into doing it in the hopes that Sunggyu would respond to him out of sheer curiosity if nothing else. He clears them all before dialing his best friend's number. Unsurprisingly, Dongwoo picks up on the first ring.

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Sunggyu replies. "And I am too if you were wondering."

Dongwoo's eye roll is obvious even through the phone. "I know you're fine. That's why I didn't ask. How's Woohyun doing? Are you sure he's okay? Did the doctor check him out already? Do they want him to stay overnight? You know, sometimes things seem good and then they change suddenly. You should make sure there's nothing wrong before you let him go home."

Sunggyu can't help smiling. Dongwoo sounds like a mother worrying over her child. If he was in the hospital he'd probably be fretting over Woohyun. "He's fine," Sunggyu insists. He's embellishing a bit since he doesn't know for sure if Woohyun really is okay, but Dongwoo won't be able to sleep if he's still worried about Woohyun. It's just a white lie for his friend's sake. "I won't let him leave until I'm sure there's nothing wrong. I promise."

"Thank you." With his mind now at ease, Dongwoo steers the conversation towards lighter topics. Like Howon's disastrous attempt to prove himself to Myungsoo. He starts recounting a scene from earlier in the day at the record store. Howon had brought Myungsoo along to witness his training session with Dongwoo. (Sunggyu knows he's still not-that-secretly hoping to impress his friend with his powers.) In between customers—not like they ever got that many—Dongwoo would have Howon clear his mind, focus on an object and try to levitate it for as long as he could. The first couple of tries had been rather embarrassing for Howon. He didn't manage to move the CD case even a little bit. On the next try Dongwoo suspects Howon had been too overzealous. Rather than simply lifting a pen up from the counter, he'd sent it flying across the room and right into one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling. To say Howon was embarrassed would be an understatement.

Sunggyu starts to ask about Myungsoo's reaction when he hears another voice in his head. _What am I doing here? I know it's my fault, but how am I supposed to explain it?_ It's loud enough to be coming from someone next to him, but when he turns his head the other end of the bench is empty as well as the rest of the hallway. He turns his head to the other side and finds a young man sitting on a bench a few doors down. His leg is bouncing, giving away his restlessness, as he twiddles his thumbs. He looks like he's a second away from bolting.

"Did something happen?" Dongwoo's voice edges on panicked, reminding the older man of the phone in his hand and his worried friend on the other end. He'd forgotten nearly everything thanks to those stray thoughts. "Sunggyu?"

"It's nothing," he replies as he looks back at Woohyun's door. He doesn't think the guy is paying attention to him, but he doesn't want to give him any reason to be suspicious. He doesn't want to spook him before he can satisfy his curiosity. "I'll call you back, okay?" He doesn't wait for Dongwoo's response, hanging up as soon as he's done talking. He'll worry about his friend's wrath later.

His first instinct is to approach the guy; that seems like the fastest way to get answers. And he's fairly sure this guy must have quite a few of them. But the other's hesitance gives Sunggyu pause. It seems like he's here to see Woohyun and to possibly apologize for the accident in the coffee shop. When Sunggyu glances at the man again he realizes that he still has on the apron from the shop and the matching hat is on the bench next to him. With all of his attention and concern aimed at Woohyun (and Sungyeol to a lesser extent), Sunggyu hadn't noticed much about the employee responsible for the accident. But he's here now, just a few feet away from Sunggyu, vacillating between staying or going.

Sunggyu leans back on the bench, pressing his back and head against the coolness of the wall. He decides to search the man's mind first before confronting him. He wants to be completely sure. Closing his eyes, he reaches out to the stranger's mind. He's only tried this once with Dongwoo when his friend had willingly opened his mind to him. It's almost the same this time except that it feels like walking through a thick curtain rather than an open door. He lets out an inaudible sigh once he gets through. His relief is short-lived, though, as almost as soon as he steps inside the guy is there in front of him in his mind. He looks at Sunggyu with wide, confused eyes. _What are you doing here?_

With a gasp, Sunggyu comes back to his own mind and body. His head immediately turns to the man. He's staring back at Sunggyu with the same wide eyes. _How did you do that?_ Too stunned to give an answer, Sunggyu can only gape. No one's ever felt him in their head before—he didn't even know it was possible.

The guy stands up and gets a couple steps closer to Sunggyu when the door to Woohyun's room slides open. He freezes, his head turning to the door at the same time as Sunggyu.

"Have you called the—" Sungyeol starts to say as he comes out of the room. He stops after he gets a good look at Sunggyu. "Are you okay," he asks instead.

Sunggyu glances at the guy down the hall before nodding. Their meeting will have to wait unfortunately. (If the guy isn't totally freaked out by Sunggyu, that is.) "I'm fine." It's his second lie of the evening.

Sungyeol doesn't seem convinced, but he doesn't press it. He goes back to the question he'd started asking. "Did you call the doctor yet?"

Out of the corner of his eye Sunggyu sees the stranger slipping around the corner at the end of the hallway. "No, I forgot," he says, not having to try too hard to sound abashed. That should've been the first thing he did after leaving the room. The sooner they know if Woohyun really is okay the sooner they can leave. "I'll go—"

"No, stay," Sungyeol insists. He steps to the side to give Sunggyu room to pass by. "I'll go. He wants to see you anyway."

Sunggyu doesn't miss the slight twist of Sungyeol's mouth, like it pains him to say the words. It's gone a second later and then Sungyeol is walking away. Sunggyu knows he has to confront him (about this; about his relationship with Woohyun), but he'll have to find the time later. No matter how badly he wants to know, Woohyun comes first.

 

\---

 

"I'm finding it harder and harder to believe that Dongwoo put you up to this," Woohyun says. He's sitting on his couch with a blanket on his lap and an amused smile on his face. He still accepts the cup of tea from Sunggyu.

Since leaving the hospital Sunggyu has been nothing short of doting. It's a bit weird for him when he's never shown this much concern for any of his friends before. He also isn't sure if he's even doing it right. He'd been kind of brash about it, commanding Woohyun to lay in bed and take the painkillers the doctor prescribed. Woohyun had ignored his orders, of course, choosing instead to settle himself on the couch.

"I should've just brought you home with me, then, so Dongwoo could worry over you himself. This is exhausting." He drops onto the couch next to Woohyun to emphasize his point.

"I guess I should try not to injure myself again any time soon."

" _Please._ "

Woohyun laughs, playfully pushing Sunggyu's shoulder. He sobers up quickly, though, keeping his hand on Sunggyu's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "Thank you. For staying with me at the hospital. And taking care of me. It means a lot."

Sunggyu isn't sure how to respond. Saying "you're welcome" seems too simple, too impersonal. But saying Woohyun means a lot to him seems like too much. Even though he's already admitted his feelings (however muddled they might be), it's still embarrassing to say things like that. To be so honest. "Of course," he says instead, trying to convey his sincerity despite using such dismissive words. He brings his hand up to cover the one Woohyun has on his shoulder. Woohyun's smiling softly at him, his head tilted to the side slightly. Sunggyu doesn't have to read his mind to know what he's thinking. "I don't think this is such a good idea," he says cautiously. He doesn't want to hurt Woohyun's feelings again, but he might if things move too fast.

"Why not," Woohyun challenges. He looks ready to argue his case and Sunggyu would find it funny (or kind of adorable) if they weren't talking about the logic of sharing another kiss.

Sunggyu sits up straight, putting a bit of distance between the two of them. "Because..." He doesn't really have any other reason besides thinking it's a bad idea. There must be something else, though.

"Because of Sungyeol?"

The question catches Sunggyu by surprise. After parting ways at the hospital, he hadn't thought of Sungyeol once. He feels foreboding spreading through his gut now that Woohyun's brought him up. "What does he have to do with it?"

Woohyun isn't flustered like Sunggyu expects him to be. He doesn't seem to find bringing up his old friend at a time like this odd or out of place. "Didn't you two talk at all," he asks, his eyebrows dipping in confusion.

"Were we supposed to?" It's not like he and Sungyeol ignored each other while they were in the hospital. They introduced themselves... And that was about it. But in Sunggyu's defense, he had been sick with worry for Woohyun the whole time. He wasn't too concerned with what kind of relationship Woohyun and Sungyeol had in the past. But now it appears he should've been.

Woohyun shrugs in answer. "It doesn't really matter, I guess."

"It looks like it matters to you. What, did you used to date him or something?" Woohyun stays silent as he drops his gaze down to his lap. Sunggyu wants to tell him to look him in the eyes and give him an answer, but Woohyun's reaction says it all. "Did you think I'd be upset about that?"

"Are you?" Woohyun looks back up at him, searching his face for the answer while he waits for Sunggyu to speak.

Sunggyu's mouth opens, but no words come out. He isn't sure if he should be honest—or if he can be. The truth is that he isn’t upset or even a little bothered. But he doesn’t know if that’s the answer Woohyun wants from him.

"We never dated," Woohyun admits when Sunggyu’s response doesn’t come. "Not that we didn’t want to. It’s complicated, I guess."

Sunggyu would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about Woohyun and Sungyeol. Or that he hadn’t felt a tiny spike of jealousy from the look on Woohyun’s face back at the café. He had been happy to see Sungyeol and while that in itself isn’t a cause for concern, there’s no mistaking the love that had been there as well. Because it’s almost the same as how Woohyun looks at him. Maybe it hadn’t been as strong, but it was warm and fond and Sunggyu knew what it meant even if he’s only admitting it to himself now. "How complicated," he presses. He might not be satisfied with the answer, but he still wants to know.

Woohyun looks away, sipping at his now-cold tea to stall for time. "I was just as much of a coward then as I am now." He glances at Sunggyu briefly before staring back down at his cup. "I liked him, but I was too afraid to tell him. I think he already knew, though. And then we kind of lost touch for a couple years after we graduated and I moved on. But when we met up again he told me he’d been thinking about me—about us."

"He told you that in the hospital?"

Shaking his head, Woohyun leans forward to rest his cup on the coffee table. "This was a while ago. Around the time I started liking you." With nothing to keep his hands busy, he clasps them together in his lap. He's turned away from Sunggyu now. "We ran into each other one day and we went out for drinks to catch up. I thought he was drunk or just teasing me about the crush I had on him. But when I talked to him the next day he told me he meant what he said when we were drinking. He'd started to like me just before we left school and he figured it was pointless to try to start something when we both seemed to be going in different directions. But he still thought about me and he regretted not at least telling me how he felt. It was fate that brought us together again—that's what he told me while he was drunk—and that meant we should take advantage of it." There's an amused smile on Woohyun's face like he's remembering Sungyeol's face as he said the words or the sound of his voice.

Sunggyu doesn't know why Woohyun's telling him all of this. He hadn't planned on pressing him for the details. But he supposes the other man must not want him to have any questions or doubts about his relationship with Sungyeol. So Sunggyu remains quiet as Woohyun continues talking.

"He asked me out on a date, but I ended up turning him down. I told him about you—well, I just said there was someone else. I didn't tell him that it was one-sided, though. He told me to call him if it didn't work out. I'm still not sure if he was joking," Woohyun finishes with a short laugh. The room goes quiet as he waits for Sunggyu’s response. _I screwed everything up, didn’t I? Why did I bring him up?_

Although the mention of Sungyeol had definitely dampened the mood (that Sunggyu was already trying to put an end to, but that’s not important now), he was bound to come up at some point. Sunggyu’d had his suspicions and he wouldn’t have been able to hold them in for very long. It’s better that they talk about it now. At least, that’s Sunggyu’s hopeful thinking. He lays a reassuring hand on Woohyun’s arm, drawing the other’s eyes over to him for the first time in minutes. "I’m not bothered by us talking about Sungyeol, so you don’t have to be. And it’s not like you still have feelings for him, right?" Woohyun shakes his head fervently in response. "So it’s all cleared up now—I mean, you didn’t have to tell me _that_ much, but as long as you’re honest it’s okay."

"It is?"

Against his better judgement, Sunggyu leans closer to Woohyun. He’s still worried about moving too fast. But that doesn’t stop him from pressing his lips to Woohyun’s cheek. "It is," he confirms, meeting the other’s surprised eyes. He hears Woohyun’s thought before he voices it.

"Is this okay, too?" His lips are only a breath away from Sunggyu’s. He won’t come any closer until he knows he can. But he wants to, Sunggyu can sense it. And he wants Woohyun closer, too. He gives a short nod in answer and lets his eyes fall shut, anticipating what comes next. Woohyun’s hands come up to hold Sunggyu’s face as he finally closes the distance between their lips. Sunggyu doesn’t hesitate in deepening the kiss, his arms wrapping around Woohyun to pull him even closer. He feels like he’d been worried for nothing. Woohyun knows him well enough by now to know what he’s getting himself into. He still doesn’t want to hurt him, but now he doubts kissing him will.

 

 

\---

 

 

Dongwoo nearly knocks Woohyun to the ground as soon as he walks into the record store. Despite his small stature he still manages to envelop Woohyun in the tightest bear hug the other's probably ever gotten in his whole life. Woohyun laughs with what little air he has left in his lungs, patting Dongwoo on the back to console him. "It's not like I went off to war," he says. "But thanks for worrying about me."

When Dongwoo finally lets him go, it's only so he can punch him in the arm. "You're not allowed to laugh when I was worried sick about you." His lip trembles slightly, making Woohyun feel bad. He turns away from Woohyun and crosses his arms.

"I'm sorry," Woohyun apologizes sincerely. He can't help the small smile pulling at his lips, though. Dongwoo manages to be cute at the oddest moments. Woohyun wraps his arms around Dongwoo from the back, resting his chin on the shorter man's shoulder. "I promise I'm never going to get hurt ever again. So you don't have to worry about me anymore, okay?"

Dongwoo's mouth twists as he thinks. "I guess," he answers slowly.

Woohyun pulls his arms tighter around Dongwoo and starts bouncing the two of them from side-to-side. "So you forgive me?" Dongwoo's laugh comes easily, loud and infectious, and Woohyun joins him soon after. "Are we good? Am I forgiven? Do you love me again?" They end up spinning in circles while Woohyun pesters the other with questions.

"Yes," Dongwoo relents through a fit of giggles. "Yes to all of that. Now knock it off before I throw up on you." Woohyun stops spinning, but keeps his hold on Dongwoo. He's not done teasing him yet. But just as he starts planning his next attack, Sunggyu's sarcastic voice interrupts him.

"Are you two shooting a drama over there?" Sunggyu stands at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the storage room. He starts walking across the room once he has Woohyun and Dongwoo's attention. If he didn't know any better he'd think they were trying to make him jealous. But he does know better, especially after the night he'd had with Woohyun.

"Good morning to you too," Woohyun greets him dryly once he reaches them, picking his head up from its perch on Dongwoo's shoulder. "How did you sleep last night?"

Sunggyu knows exactly what he's trying to do, but he refuses to take the bait. "Like a baby, actually," he replies, practically turning up his nose at Woohyun. It's the truth, too. With Woohyun in his arms, his heart beating against Sunggyu's palm and his face the epitome of peaceful as he slept, it had been the best sleep Sunggyu had had since regaining his memories of Dongwoo. Maybe even better than that night.

"Is that so?" Woohyun bites his lip as he looks Sunggyu up and down, like he's undressing him with his eyes. Sunggyu has the urge to cover himself. "I think I know what you mean. I slept really well last night, too."

"Yeah?" Woohyun looks away from him, smiling shyly, and nods. Sunggyu feels like he's grinning from ear to ear, but he doesn't mind. He has a very good reason to be happy.

"I can go and come back if you guys need a minute." Both Sunggyu and Woohyun look at Dongwoo in surprise. He steps out of Woohyun's embrace easily and turns to face them. "I mean, I'm sure the sex was great, but all this tension is kinda weird for me."

Sunggyu chokes on nothing while Woohyun starts cackling like he's been possessed by Dongwoo. "What are you talking about," Sunggyu squeaks out when he finds his voice. His whole face feels like it's on fire. He can't even scold Dongwoo for being so blunt.

_I’m not an idiot_ , Dongwoo thinks. He only raises an eyebrow, though.

"I-it’s not like that. We didn’t—We’re not—" Sunggyu doesn't think his face could get any redder. It might explode if it does. He looks over at Woohyun desperately. "A little help here, please?"

Woohyun, the jerk, is still laughing his head off. "But this is more fun," he says in between chuckles.

Sunggyu moves to punch his arm (although right now he'd much rather it be Woohyun's face), but Dongwoo steps in before he can swing. He's biting back a smile as he lowers Sunggyu's fist. "I don't care what did or didn't happen last night. I'm just happy you two can talk to each other again. And the three of us can hang out again without it being weird."

This is the first time in a long while that Sunggyu and Woohyun have been comfortable together. They aren't keeping any secrets from each other (that Sunggyu knows of) and they're now on the same page with their feelings. Things are back to how they had been, but also different. A good kind of different, Sunggyu thinks. It's a relief more than anything.

"Don't say stuff like that," Sunggyu warns his friend, pulling his hand out of Dongwoo's grasp. "It makes me want to hug you." He ignores Woohyun's choked off laugh and muttered comment on the cheesiness of the line.

"Like you need the excuse," Dongwoo grins up at him. Bouncing over to Sunggyu, he wraps his arms around him in the same kind of smothering hug he'd given Woohyun. Sunggyu whines half-heartedly, pushing weakly at the other's shoulders. Dongwoo only squeezes him tighter.

"Wow," Woohyun sighs, apparently in awe. He has his arms crossed as he observes Sunggyu and Dongwoo. "It looks so easy when you do it," he says to Dongwoo. "He always kicks me when I try to hug him."

"Because you're not Dongwoo." Sunggyu laughs at the pout that forms on Woohyun's face at the teasing remark. It's always fun teasing him. He reaches out to pull at one of Woohyun's cheeks as he coos at him. "You're cute in your own way, though."

Woohyun swats his hand away, his pout turning into a scowl. He rubs at his reddened cheek and turns away from Sunggyu (and Dongwoo, who's still attached to the older man like a baby and watching the two of them in amusement). "Shut up," he mumbles. The blush rising on his untouched cheek gives away how much he actually enjoyed Sunggyu's compliment. "Don't you have work to do?"

"I do," Sunggyu agrees. "But this is more fun."

 

 

\---

 

 

Sunggyu is in the middle of reaching for a box on a high shelf when a pair of arms snake around his middle and pull him against a warm chest. He makes a noise of surprise as he spins around to come face-to-face with Woohyun. The younger man pulls his arms down to his sides, looking guilty.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

Sunggyu cuts him off before he can finish. "Don't be sorry. You just surprised me. I don’t mind if you do stuff like that. Actually, I... I kinda like it." He looks down at his feet in embarrassment, wishing it didn't feel so awkward to admit things like that.

Woohyun takes a small step closer. "You like when I hug you?" He's watching Sunggyu's face carefully when the other man musters the courage to look at him. "You're not going to kick me?"

"Only if you annoy me," Sunggyu vows seriously before cracking a smile. It grows as Woohyun takes another step towards him and winds his arms around Sunggyu's waist. Without thinking about it, Sunggyu finds his hands coming up to hold Woohyun's face. A moment later their lips are pressed together and Sunggyu wonders why it's taken so long for them to reach this point. (He doesn’t doubt that it’s mainly his fault, but he’s sure there must be other reasons for the delay.)

Woohyun's eyes stay closed for a few moments after the kiss ends. When they open he stares silently at Sunggyu, a smile lighting up his eyes. "I love you," he says.

The words stick in Sunggyu's throat. He can't say it back. Not yet. He starts to stammer out an apology, but Woohyun stops him before he can get more than two words out.

"I wasn't expecting you to say it back." He rests a hand on one of Sunggyu's that's still holding his face. "I just wanted to say it out loud." He's smiling even though Sunggyu doesn't think he should be. "But that's not why I came," Woohyun says, smoothly changing the subject as he puts an appropriate amount of space between them. Sunggyu's arms fall uselessly to his sides. "We have company."

"Who?" Sunggyu had been too engrossed in organizing the storage room (a task that seems to be pointless since nearly every week one of them has to do it) to notice anyone coming into the store.

"Howon and his friend Myungsoo." He hesitates for a second before adding, "And Sungyeol." Despite their conversation the night before, Woohyun still seems to think Sungyeol is a sore topic between them.

In an effort to show him that he has nothing to worry about, Sunggyu reaches for Woohyun's hand and starts leading them out of the room. "You didn't tell him anything, did you," he asks just as they reach the door.

Woohyun lifts his eyes up from staring at their connected hands to give Sunggyu a confused look. It only lasts a couple seconds before his eyes light up with understanding. "No. I won’t tell him anything unless he needs to know. It’s not really my secret to tell anyway." He looks back down at their hands, a small smile on his lips. It’s wider when he looks up at Sunggyu. "C’mon," he says as he slips his hand out of Sunggyu’s. He starts heading down the stairs and after a short moment Sunggyu follows behind him.

Down in the store, Dongwoo and Howon are talking by the register while Myungsoo and Sungyeol are looking through the stacks of records by the front window. Dongwoo notices Sunggyu and Woohyun first. He taps Howon on the shoulder and leans in to whisper something in his ear. Sunggyu narrows his eyes at his friend as he walks closer to him. Whatever Dongwoo said must have something to do with Sunggyu and Woohyun if the way he’s beaming when they reach the register is any indication.

"Nice of you two lovebirds to join us," Howon quips, his tone smug and loud enough to attract the attention of the two men over by the window.

Sunggyu rolls his eyes. "I wouldn’t trust everything Dongwoo says," he throws back. He’s not as embarrassed as he had been earlier. Woohyun, though, seems embarrassed enough for the both of them. Sunggyu reaches for his hand again and gives him a smile to show that he doesn’t mind Howon’s teasing so Woohyun shouldn’t either.

"Enough of it must be true, though." Howon glances down at their hands before looking back at Sunggyu.

"That’s not important right now," Sunggyu dismisses the obviously true statement. He’s eager to change the subject, but there’s also something else they need to talk about. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that Sunggyu had pretty much forgotten a very important part of the previous night. "I need to tell you guys something." He keeps his voice low so Myungsoo and Sungyeol won't overhear. This isn't something they need to be concerned about just yet. "It's about Woohyun's accident yesterday." The other three give him their full attention, waiting for him to elaborate. "I think I saw the person who caused it at the hospital, the barista who dropped the tray at the cafe. He was sitting near Woohyun's room, like he was thinking about going in—actually, he really was thinking about it. He wanted to apologize, but he didn't think he could explain how it happened."

Dongwoo's gasp is obnoxiously loud, making both Howon and Woohyun slap their hands over his mouth. Sunggyu glances over his shoulder at Sungyeol and Myungsoo. The latter is looking at their little group with slightly narrowed eyes. Sunggyu hears him trying to guess what they could be talking about. Thankfully, Sungyeol steals Myungsoo's attention before he can decide on coming over. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sunggyu turns back around.

"Sorry," Dongwoo whispers once Woohyun and Howon move their hands. He continues in a hushed voice. "I just realized that's why you hung up on me so suddenly."

"Yeah," Sunggyu agrees, nodding at Dongwoo. "And I wanted to make sure he was really talking about Woohyun so I tried that thing you taught me a while ago."

"You went inside his head?"

"You can do that," Howon cuts in. His eyes are wide and just a touch wary.

"Sort of. I haven't done it enough to be any good at it."

With a somewhat impatient huff, Woohyun brings the conversation back to its main focus. "So did it work?"

Sunggyu shakes his head. "I didn't get to see anything. He saw me—or felt me or however it works—as soon as I got in. We were both surprised. And I might have scared him off; I don't think he's ever met anyone with my powers."

"How did he notice you, though?" Dongwoo's eyebrows are furrowed like he's trying to find an answer to his own question. "I couldn't even tell you were in my head." Sunggyu can only shrug.

"Maybe he has powers too," Howon suggests. "And that's why he could sense you."

They fall silent as they all consider the possibility. It would definitely help in making sense of the man's reluctance to come forward. If it is true, then something must have happened with his powers that caused the accident in the café that sent Woohyun to the hospital.

Woohyun speaks up first. "Should we try to find him? I mean, we know where he works and you know what he looks like. It wouldn’t be too hard."

"I think we should," Dongwoo chimes in, nodding his head for emphasis. Howon adds his agreement and then they’re all turning to Sunggyu for his opinion. Somehow it feels like Sunggyu has the final say. Like if he decides it’s not worth it to go searching for the café worker, they’ll respect his decision. They might not like it or agree with it, but they’ll go along with it. Maybe it’s because he’s the oldest, so they trust that he knows what’s best. Sunggyu isn’t sure he’s ready for that kind of responsibility. He starts to say something along those lines when the bell above the front door jingles, signaling a new customer.

Except it’s actually the last person Sunggyu expects to see. _There’s no need to look for him if he comes to us instead,_ he thinks wryly.

The man from the café enters the store calmly. He’s out of his work uniform, but dressed impeccably in black dress pants and a yellow blazer over a white shirt. After a quick survey of the record store (and the people in it), his eyes find Sunggyu easily. The older man feels a sense of unease creeping up his back well before the other man opens his mouth. It settles over Sunggyu completely when the man does speak.

"We need to talk."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm posting this a bit earlier than I planned because I was going to write three parts to the chapter, but I feel like the third part will work better to start off the next chapter. Compared to the last chapter, this one is much shorter, although I hope the bit of cute woogyu makes up for it. And, thankfully, there's no cliffhanger here. But you can look forward to some new (and mysterious) characters in the next chapter. Okay, that's it. Enjoy~

If Sunggyu's somehow become the leader of their odd little group, then he figures he should do his best to look out for them. The first step is getting rid of Myungsoo and Sungyeol. It's best that they don't know everything just yet. For everyone's sake. So, summoning what little authority he has and putting as much baseless confidence into his voice as he can, Sunggyu manages to convince the two men that the impending conversation has nothing to do with them. He expects more resistance from Myungsoo given what he knows already, but the other gives in after a quick word from Howon. (Maybe he assumes Howon will fill him in later.) Sungyeol, the only truly clueless one among them, accepts the order without complaint. Although confused and growing increasingly curious, he still follows Myungsoo out of the record store.

The second step is figuring out how to get more information from the stranger than they have to give. He wants to know what kind of powers the guy has and what he knows without having to tell him too much about himself or the others.

"You're going to have to tell them the truth sometime." The guy starts a slow walk around the store, looking through the different stacks of CDs and records. The four men stand by the register and watch him closely. From his first impression, Sunggyu doesn't think there's a lot to be concerned about. As serious as he looks, Sunggyu doesn’t sense any danger from him. He'd claimed he wanted to talk so if he had any ulterior motives they would've surely been made known by now. But it doesn't hurt to be careful. They still don't know what he can do.

"Who are you exactly?" The question comes from Dongwoo suddenly. He stares intently at the other like he can read his mind. (Sunggyu can, but he's wary of trying again.)

The guy pauses in flipping through a collection of vintage 45's to look over at them in surprise. "I didn't introduce myself, did I? My name's Sungjong," he says, crossing the room so that he's only standing a few feet away from the other four men. "I work a couple blocks from here. We sort of met yesterday." He looks at Woohyun with a frown. "I'm sorry about what happened, by the way. I didn't mean for things to end up that way. I wanted to apologize, but I didn't think you'd believe me if I tried to explain myself. And it seemed a little creepy that I followed you all the way to the hospital."

Woohyun accepts Sungjong's apology with a nod. "I'll be okay. But what you said before, about telling the truth, what did you mean?"

Sungjong tilts his head to the side slightly as he appraises them. "We all know you guys aren't like most people—well—not you. Just the three of you," he says, gesturing at Sunggyu, Howon, and Dongwoo.

"And what about you," Howon counters.

"I'm also, um, not like most people."

"How?"

Sungjong hesitates, his mouth hanging open slightly with no words coming out. Sunggyu hears him start and restart his answer a couple times in his head before he settles on, "I can see the future." His eyes dart between the men in front of him as he gauges their reactions. While Sunggyu hadn't imagined that kind of power for Sungjong, he doesn't think the other needs to be so cautious. Not if he knows as much as he seems to.

"I don't suppose you have any proof," Sunggyu ventures. He already knows that's not normally the kind of power one can turn off and on like a switch. "Not that we don't believe you. It's just, you know, to make sure."

Sungjong nods amiably. His shoulders have lost some of their tension and he even has the tiniest of smiles on his face. "I understand. I do know all of your names if that counts. Sunggyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, and Howon." He points to each of them as he calls their names. They all stare at him in varying degrees of astonished. "And the other two were Sungyeol and Myungsoo."

Howon easily shakes off his surprise. "Do you know our blood types and birthdays, too?"

Sungjong's smile grows a little as he sticks his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "No," he admits, "I don't know that much. But, if you don't mind, it would be nice to know what you guys can do."

"That’s fair," Dongwoo agrees. He moves past their little group to approach Sungjong. "I don’t think there’s a name for my power, but I can alter or erase memories. I can show you if you want to see how it works. It’s really simple." He takes a step closer to the younger man as if he’s already said yes. Sungjong immediately takes a step back.

"I-I’ll just take your word for it," he insists. Dongwoo laughs as he steps back with his hands up in surrender.

Howon moves to stand next to Dongwoo. "Hopefully telekinesis isn’t as intimidating to you."

"That sounds pretty cool actually," Sungjong says, bringing a proud smile to the other’s face. When Howon takes a step towards him, Sungjong doesn’t flinch. "I wouldn’t mind seeing that." He looks apologetically at Dongwoo after he says that. "No offense."

Dongwoo laughs again. "None taken."

Howon’s not as serious this time as he prepares himself to use his power. Probably because Sungjong’s reaction had been better than Myungsoo’s so he doesn’t feel as much pressure. He focuses on the front door, but doesn’t raise his arm like the first time. That must mean he’s learned how to use just his mind rather than having to channel his power through his hands. Sunggyu feels an odd sense of pride to see how quickly Howon has adapted to his powers. Especially since he was the one who taught Howon that bit. It had been a matter of getting Howon to clear his head and not try so hard. His mind would be a jumble of thoughts and he would tense up too much whenever he tried to use his power. That had blocked his power from working or sent it into overdrive. With the incident with the pen the day before he obviously he hadn’t been applying Sunggyu’s advice. But now Howon seems to be taking it seriously.

After a few seconds of silence within the store, the chimes above the door start to jingle. The door itself remains closed until Howon beckons it open with a smooth curl of his finger. The chimes sound again as the door swings open. Sunggyu can imagine the smirk on Howon’s face at Sungjong’s impressed gasp. Howon drops his arm, pushing the door closed with the gesture, and turns to look at Sungjong.

Dongwoo claps excitedly before hopping over to Howon. "You did it," he cheers, wrapping the other up in a hug that Howon happily returns.

"Does that mean this is the first time that’s happened?" With an amused smile, Sungjong eyes the two men in front of him. "I assumed you had more practice."

Howon lets out an embarrassed chuckle and gently pries off Dongwoo’s arms. "It’s worked before," he argues. "I mean, not so…well, but I know what I’m doing."

Sungjong only smiles wider at him. _If you say so_ , Sunggyu hears him think. Sunggyu's not surprised when Sungjong's eyes fall on him. "And what about you?"

Like the younger man had earlier, Sunggyu finds himself carefully choosing his words. He doesn't want to sound awkward or overly dramatic. "I, uh, I can hear people's thoughts."

Sungjong's eyes go wide at his revelation. "Y-you're a telepath," he stammers. He starts to think something but cuts off mid-thought.

"I don't hear everything," he says in the hopes of reassuring the other. This might be the most freaked out he's seen anyone he's told about his power. "I have it under control—well, mostly. Some things get through, but for the most part I only hear things if I want to. If that makes sense." His explanation seems to calm Sungjong down slightly, although his eyes are still wide with fear.

"What about last night?"

"That was..." Sunggyu trails off, trying to think of a tactful way to explain himself. He can't think of one. "...something else," he finishes lamely. "Besides hearing thoughts I can also enter people's minds and, I guess, go through all of their thoughts and feelings and that's what I was trying to do yesterday. Obviously I didn't get very far."

"Why were you trying to go through my thoughts?" Somehow the tables have turned and now Sungjong is the one full of suspicion. Sunggyu doesn't blame him, but he definitely thinks he had been justified in his methods.

"I heard you wondering if you should be in the hospital," he answers calmly. "I thought you were there for Woohyun and I wanted to make sure. I wasn't expecting you to notice me—that hadn't happened before—not that I do it often. It's not something I do a lot, or ever, I swear." Sunggyu doesn't know why he wants Sungjong to trust him so badly. He still knows virtually nothing about him; he could be a very convincing liar for all any of them knew. Maybe it's because he gets the same vibe from him that he'd gotten from Howon. That Sungjong is alone in dealing with his powers and he needs some kind of support even if it's from them and he doesn't realize it at the moment.

"I always try to be aware of what's happening in my head," Sungjong says, almost like he's talking about a book or a TV show. The composed attitude he'd walked into the store with is back. His face is schooled into a neutral expression. "My visions don't really follow a schedule, but I can usually tell when one's about to start. Even though you showing up felt the same I could also sense something was off."

Sunggyu nods in understanding. "I’m sorry I scared you," he apologizes. Sungjong gives a small smile as his acceptance.

"I know you pretty much already know who I am," Woohyun starts, clearing his throat as he steps closer to Sungjong. He holds out his hand for the other to shake. "But I'm Woohyun, one of the un-special ones."

"But you are special. To me." Four pairs of eyes turn to stare at Sunggyu. "What," he snaps defensively. "I can say stuff like that sometimes." Dongwoo and Woohyun are grinning like idiots while Howon and Sungjong are nearly identical with the judging looks they're sending him. Sunggyu crosses his arms over his chest. As the unofficial leader he won't let himself be embarrassed so easily.

In a show of mercy (at least, that's how Sunggyu sees it), Sungjong turns back to Woohyun. "Nice to meet you," he says, grasping the other's hand in his own. They share a smile as they shake hands.

With the introductions out of the way, Sunggyu decides to take control of the conversation. He moves to join the others in the middle of the room, his arms still crossed over his chest. "Now that we've gotten to know each other I think we should get to the real reason why you're here. You said you wanted to talk."

Sungjong hums as he considers his reply. "I wanted to talk about yesterday at the café." He glances at Dongwoo, Howon, and Woohyun before his eyes go back to Sunggyu. "I had a vision while I was cleaning the table and that’s why I dropped the tray. It was like I was thrown into the moment and I lost control of myself. But that’s not what’s important. The vision I had… It was about all of us. Myungsoo and Sungyeol, too."

"What about us," Dongwoo asks quietly.

"There’s someone looking for us."

Sunggyu’s stomach drops to the floor. He hadn’t been prepared for that. "W-who?"

"And why," Howon follows up.

Sungjong sighs, shaking his head. "I didn’t see that much. I just know that someone’s looking for us and he’s going to find us."

 

 

\---

 

 

Sunggyu's just flipped the sign on the door to closed when he feels Woohyun's arms wrap around his waist. It couldn't be anyone else since they're the only two left in the store. He can't help the smile that lights up his face. "You know; you really seem to be abusing your 'free-hug' privileges."

Woohyun presses closer to him, hooking his chin on Sunggyu's shoulder to look at his face. "I'm just trying to make up for all of the hugs I've missed. You owe me at least a year's worth."

"I didn't know you were keeping count."

Woohyun hums as he tightens his hold on Sunggyu. "Stop talking; you're ruining the mood." Ignoring the other's disbelieving scoff, Woohyun nuzzles his face into his neck. "That's better," he breathes against Sunggyu's skin.

A shiver runs down Sunggyu's spine despite his best efforts to remain still. He would be lying if he says he's only indulging Woohyun. He feels better—safer, happier—with Woohyun close to him, holding him, touching him. He hadn't noticed it before; hadn't even felt the need to think about it. But now he realizes that it's always been Woohyun who made him feel better. He needs this as much as Woohyun does. Not that he would ever say so.

"So, uh, I was thinking," Woohyun starts slowly. He picks his head up and moves around Sunggyu until he's standing in front of him. His hands rest on Sunggyu's hips almost like they're holding him in place. "I know there's some whack job out to get us for some reason, but maybe later you might want to come over? To, I don't know, hang out or whatever."

Sunggyu tries not to laugh at Woohyun's transparent attempt at nonchalance. What kind of friends (or two people that don't quite fit that label) just "hang out" late at night? Sunggyu isn't particularly smooth when it comes to this kind of thing either, but he would rather if Woohyun didn't beat around the bush so obviously. "Why not now?" He slides his hands up Woohyun's arms to wrap his own arms around the other's neck.

Woohyun's eyelids flutter slightly as he takes a deep breath. "Because I already promised Sungyeol I would explain all of this to him. Or maybe just most of it." Dongwoo and Howon had left a while ago to have their own talk with Myungsoo. That conversation will probably be much easier than the one Woohyun’s about to have with his friend. At least Myungsoo is in on the big secret. "Was that a yes or…" Woohyun bites his lip as he waits for Sunggyu’s answer.

"Is that a good idea right now?"

"Is anything a good idea for the two of us," Woohyun throws back, a frown settling on his face. He doesn’t seem angry just yet and Sunggyu takes that as a good sign. He can still fix things.

Smoothing his hands back down Woohyun's arms, Sunggyu hesitates before quietly admitting, "I don't want to hurt you. I know you're not made of glass and if I want to be with you I shouldn't push you away, but I—" He pauses, his eyes falling shut as he lets out a sigh of frustration. Woohyun is silent in front of him. He squeezes Sunggyu's waist lightly for reassurance and to urge him to continue talking. Sunggyu's expecting the warm look on the other's face when he opens his eyes. He holds Woohyun’s gaze for a moment before he speaks again. "Sometimes... Sometimes I feel like I'm going to mess this up. That I’ll disappoint you somehow. I know it’s only been, like, a day and we haven’t really talked about this—about us. Maybe it’s because knowing that you’re in love with me, it feels like you must have high expectations for being with me. And I want to live up to them—no, I want to be better than them, but I don’t feel like I can."

Woohyun leans in to pull the older man into a hug. He rests his head on Sunggyu’s shoulder, facing away from him. "Believe it or not, you’re not the only one with doubts." His voice is as gentle as his hold on Sunggyu. "Sometimes I think I’m being too clingy. Or that you’re only with me out of pity. And even though I don’t want to lose you, I don’t want to hold onto you too tightly either. I feel like I’m going to mess this up too when I just really want this to work."

Sunggyu runs his fingers through Woohyun’s hair to call his attention. "I think you’re doing fine so far," he says when Woohyun meets his eyes. He doesn’t know what they’re supposed to call each other now or what they are together, but whatever it is, he thinks Woohyun is much better at it than him.

"Yeah?" Sunggyu’s answering nod brings a smile to his face. "Well, you’re not so bad yourself." He leans in again to press a quick kiss to Sunggyu’s lips. And then another. By the third one, Sunggyu is grinning along with him. As he’s leaning in for the fourth a loud knock on the store’s front door makes them jump. They spring apart, eyes wide with barely restrained cries of ( ~~fear~~ ) surprise on the tips of their tongues, and turn to look at the door.

Sungyeol is standing on the other side of the glass.

Feeling guilty though he knows he shouldn’t, Sunggyu looks away from the younger man’s knowing gaze. "I guess time’s up," he says as casually as he can manage to Woohyun.

"You’re welcome to join us if you want. That would actually make things a lot easier."

Sunggyu can think of quite a few things the three of them together would be. And easy isn’t one of them. But the inevitable awkwardness isn’t the only reason he’s hesitant about facing Sungyeol. "I think I’ll sit this one out. I’ve freaked enough people out today with my powers." Woohyun smiles at that. "But if your other offer’s still on the table, I wouldn’t mind taking you up on it."

Woohyun is speechless for a moment, as if he can’t believe Sunggyu actually agreed. "O-okay, that’s—yeah, okay. I’ll call you later." He starts to move forward as if to give Sunggyu a hug or kiss him again, but thinks better of it. He offers a small wave instead. Sunggyu returns it and even manages a wave at Sungyeol, who seems surprised by the gesture at first. He raises a hand slowly in response, obviously confused by their exchange. With one last wave, Woohyun joins his friend outside and Sunggyu is left alone in the store. He stares at the door for a moment before letting out a sigh into the silent room. After such a long and eventful day, he’s relieved that the night is turning out to be much quieter. He doesn’t know what to expect the next day, but with his plans for the rest of the night he decides he’ll worry about it later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter's a little bit longer than the last one. After I wrote the first part I wasn't sure what to do for the rest of the chapter, so I distracted myself with other stories before coming back to this. All of the earlier chapters were only in Sunggyu's perspective, but now I want to show the others' perspectives too. So the first part of this is from Sungyeol's pov. And I'm such a sucker for hoyeol, so their relationship will start to develop from here. The next part is a mix between Woohyun's and Sunggyu's povs because I kinda forgot in the middle of it. (Most of Lovelyz make a short cameo here too.) And the last part is with Dongwoo and includes a new character. I'm terrible at descriptions, though, so i doubt anyone can tell who she is. I'm only going to slightly re-read this; I hope I don't miss anything.

"Do they really have to be in here?" Sungyeol eyes Howon's bodyguards with poorly disguised fear. They'd stopped him as he came into the record store the day after he'd learned the truth, patting him down and even checking his ID. They didn't even pause while Woohyun vouched for him. He gets that they're all in danger from some unknown source and it's just a precaution. But he doesn't do well under pressure and two big guys with even bigger guns is an awful lot of pressure.

Howon laughs as he joins the other man on the steps leading up to the storage room. His shoulder bumps Sungyeol's when he turns to face him. "As long as you don't try to kill me you're perfectly fine."

Sungyeol can't say he's convinced. "It's not like you actually need them," he says to change the subject. Slightly, but still. "If anyone attacks you, you can just, like, send something flying at them and knock them out." Howon laughs again, showing off the sharpness of his canines. Sungyeol's cheeks start to heat up and he has to look away.

"I'm glad you think I'm good enough to do something like that."

"You can't?" Sungyeol looks back at Howon in surprise. They haven't spent any time together (alone) since Woohyun told him everything so Sungyeol hasn't had the chance to interrogate him about his powers. He'd just assumed Howon—and Sunggyu and Dongwoo—knew what they were doing. "Wow, you just lost a bunch of cool points."

Partly offended, Howon playfully shoves his shoulder. "That's not fair," he whines. (Sungyeol tries not to gape at the pout on the other man's face.) "I didn't say I couldn't do _anything_. That kind of thing just isn't in my skill set right now."

"And what is? Levitating things? Moving them a little bit?" Sungyeol's grin grows the longer Howon stays silent (and the redder his ears become). Counting that as a victory, he turns to look around the store. His eyes land on Woohyun standing with Sunggyu. They look comfortable together, closer than Sungyeol remembers them being the first time he saw them. The smile slides off his face.

"Seeing them together must make you jealous."

Sungyeol's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as his head twists to look at Howon. He shouldn't be surprised; it's not like he even tried to hide how he feels about Woohyun. Up until they ran into each other again, he'd been holding onto the hope that Woohyun would reach out to him first. That he would suddenly rediscover the feelings he'd had for Sungyeol all those years ago. But that won't ever happen. Not when Woohyun is so completely and obviously in love with Sunggyu. "I'm not jealous," he denies, shaking his head. "I'm just...resigned."

Howon frowns, his thick eyebrows dipping down as he does. "You're giving up just like that? You don't want to fight for him?"

"What's there to fight for? If he likes someone else, I shouldn't try to get in between them. He's moved on and I should too."

"You're a lot more mature than I thought you were," Howon says after a moment of silence passes. The smile on his face is careful, like he's waiting to see if Sungyeol will pick up on the teasing in his comment.

Sungyeol does notice it. He feels bad for ruining the fun mood from the start of the conversation, but he's grateful that Howon is trying to cheer him up. He returns Howon's playful shove from earlier. "We're the same age," he argues, his smile genuine and reassuring.

"But I have a few months' more knowledge than you."

"Yeah, I'm sure you were wise beyond your months by the time I was born."

Despite the wide grin on his face, Howon rolls his eyes at the sarcastic comment. He starts a witty (in his opinion, at least) retort when the bell above the door jingles.

All eyes go to take in the new arrival. Once everyone realizes it's only Sungjong, there's a collective, nearly inaudible sigh of relief. Most of the conversations pick up where they'd left off and Howon's bodyguards relax back into their silent watch over the store and their client. Sungyeol jumps up from the stairs at the first sight of the café worker. He's taken to Sungjong in an older brother kind of way. Partly because the other seems like he could use a bit of guidance, but mostly because he's very easy to tease (and annoy). And the fact that Sungjong isn't afraid to taunt him right back (or just hit Sungyeol if he doesn't have time for words) just makes things more interesting.

"Our Sungjongie’s here," Sungyeol greets him brightly, wrapping an arm around the younger man’s shoulder.

Sungjong rolls his eyes, but lets Sungyeol pull him into a one-armed hug. Even though he acts like he’s completely done with Sungyeol most of the time, he’s actually grown fond of the other. "I don’t think I agreed to that nickname," he says when they pull away from each other.

"That’s the point. I’m calling you that whether you like it or not."

"I think I liked you better when you were afraid of me."

Sungyeol scoffs. His fear of Sungjong had lasted for all of a day. Knowing someone could see his future had made him uneasy at first. But in getting to know the younger man, Sungyeol had become more relaxed with him and now he’s less concerned about Sungjong’s power. "Well, that’s too bad because I like you better now that I’m not afraid of you."

Sungjong has quickly learned to laugh at most of the ridiculous things that come out of Sungyeol's mouth. He looks away from the gum-filled grin the other sends his way to look at the others. His eyes fall on Howon's dejected form on the steps to the storage room. The other had deflated after Sungyeol had abandoned him in favor of teasing Sungjong. "I think your friend misses you," Sungjong says, turning his attention back to Sungyeol. He feels kind of bad for Howon. Plus, it's complicated enough without him adding fuel to the fire.

When Sungyeol looks over at Woohyun in confusion, Sungjong nods in the opposite direction. "Howon," Sungyeol asks in a low voice to avoid attracting any attention when he realizes who the younger meant. "We're not..." He trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentence. He doesn't think they're close enough to be considered friends, but it's not like they're strangers either.

Sungjong lays a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Sungyeol can only wonder why. "Don't worry," Sungjong assures him—well, tries to; it would be more effective if Sungyeol knew why he was being comforted. "He's very patient. Especially with this." With that, he gives Sungyeol a nudge in Howon's direction and flits off to the corner of the store where Dongwoo is showing off his powers to Myungsoo. (The other has become quite enthralled by Dongwoo's power, asking question after question and persuading the older man to show him different tricks he's taught himself over the years. Howon has suggested several times that Myungsoo might be obsessed with Dongwoo. Myungsoo doesn't see it that way at all, though.)

Sungyeol is left the most confused he’s been all day. Sungjong really has the whole cryptic psychic shtick down pat. Turning to look back at Howon, he finds the other’s gaze already on him. Howon smiles slightly once he meets Sungyeol’s eyes and Sungyeol is sure he would have tripped over his own feet if he wasn’t currently standing still. He hopes he doesn’t look as awkward as he feels as he walks back over to Howon. Their conversation picks up more or less where it had left off, but Sungjong’s parting words are still in the forefront of his mind, making him more aware of Howon and his actions. Sungyeol silently curses Sungjong and his creepy powers for confusing him. Now all he can do is wonder what’s supposed to happen between him and Howon. And if he wants it to happen.

 

\---

 

What's more surprising than a record store in the age of digital music is said record store actually having regular customers. And teenagers, at that. Woohyun's mostly sure the group of high school girls that descend on the store a couple times a week aren't actually coming for the outdated music. Some of the records are older than them by decades.

The day is starting to wind down when the girls show up. The foot traffic in front of the store has increased although no one stops to look inside. Hoya's already left with his bodyguards and a reluctant Myungsoo. It's just Woohyun and Sunggyu at the register while Dongwoo and Sungyeol are pestering Sungjong to read their fortunes in the Classic Rock section. (“That’s not how it works,” Sungjong says with an exasperated huff.) The bells above the door jingle and the girls crowd into the store. Two of them head towards the newly released music in the middle of the store while two more make a beeline for Sungyeol, Dongwoo, and Sungjong. The last two girls walk up to the register.

Woohyun perks up immediately, a wide smile stretching across his face before he adopts a more somber expression. "Just when I was starting to think I would never see you guys again," he sighs dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. Sunggyu rolls his eyes next to him. Woohyun ignores him. "Mijoo." He holds his hand out to one of the girls. "You didn't forget about me, did you?"

Grabbing onto Woohyun's hand, Mijoo mimics his serious expression. "How could I forget about you?"

Next to her, Sujeong, the tallest in the group, snorts. "Seriously, you two. Do you have to do this every time we come here?"

"You just don't understand," Mijoo tells her.

Woohyun nods sympathetically. "She really doesn't," he agrees. Sujeong and Sunggyu both scoff. Woohyun chuckles and glances at Sunggyu. He lets go of Mijoo's hand to wrap an arm around Sunggyu's shoulder. "I think we should stop now," he suggests, "Sunggyu's getting jealous."

The older man's eyes go wide at the claim. He looks between the girls and Woohyun, his cheeks heating up from the attention. "I-I'm not jealous." No one seems to be buying it.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to steal him from you." Hiding a smile behind her hand, Mijoo leans against the counter. "He's too old for me." She laughs at Woohyun's exaggerated gasp. Even Sunggyu is amused. She gets pulled away suddenly by Sujeong without so much as an explanation. The taller girl leads her over to where Jisoo and Yein have already partially surrounded the other three men in the store. (Having fallen for Sungyeol the moment she laid eyes on him, Sujeong's still nursing her crush on him. Her friends are doubtful of the chances of Sungyeol ever feeling the same way—or anything remotely close, but Sujeong won't give up that easily. She'll get him to notice her one day.)

Taking advantage of their momentary privacy, Sunggyu turns to Woohyun. With the younger man's arm still around his shoulder their faces end up closer than Sunggyu had anticipated. He takes a step back in surprise. Woohyun bites back a smile as he lets his arm fall from around Sunggyu. _You're so cute._ The thought only flusters Sunggyu more. "Shut up," he mutters, failing to sound the least bit threatening.

Woohyun chuckles quietly as he leans against the counter. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"

"I'm not sure if I still want to."

"You already knew I thought you were cute." Which is true. Even before Woohyun confessed he had admitted to finding Sunggyu cute (adorable, actually). At the time, Sunggyu hadn't thought anything of it; Woohyun could be cute sometimes too. But now there's a different feeling to the words. A fondness that both excites and scares Sunggyu. He decides it's better to analyze that at a more appropriate time. "And I won't leave you alone until you tell me whatever it is," Woohyun says.

Sunggyu sighs. "Fine." He doesn't have the patience to make the other man wait anyway. "What I wanted to ask was... Well, I was wondering if—"

"Yes."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I'm sure that's what I'll say," Woohyun shrugs.

Sunggyu rolls his eyes. He's sure of Woohyun's answer as well, though. "Well, since we agreed to try, um, dating, I guess?" His voice goes up at the end to make it a question and he looks at Woohyun for his response. The other nods. "Right. So, yeah, since we're supposed to be dating I figured it would help if we, you know, actually went on a date."

Woohyun grins as he steps closer to Sunggyu. "I was wondering when you would ask me out."

"Technically, I haven't yet."

"My answer's still yes."

 

\---

 

Dongwoo laughs as he reads the text Sunggyu sent him. His friend seems to think he's being subtle by saying he's making sure Woohyun gets home safe. It would be believable if Sunggyu actually came home at a reasonable time afterwards. Dongwoo doesn't know who Sunggyu thinks he's fooling because the younger man definitely isn't falling for it.

His hand knocks against someone else's as he reaches out to press the up button for the elevator. "Oh, I'm..." His voice trails off once he sees the person next to him. He has to tilt his head up to meet her eyes. She would probably be taller than him even without the heels she's currently wearing. Dongwoo can't complain, though; not with the sharp pantsuit she has on to match. Her dark hair, long and wavy, falls over both of her shoulders and frames her face. "Dongwoo," he finishes in a daze before he realizes what he's said. "I-I mean sorry. I'm sorry."

"Nice to meet you, Sorry." The woman laughs softly at her own joke, but stops when Dongwoo only stares at her in confusion. "I should be the one apologizing now. My friends keep telling me I make terrible jokes. I guess they're right."

Dongwoo smiles at that. "I have a friend like that. He’s always telling jokes only he gets. He thinks they’re hilarious." The elevator dings its arrival and he lets the woman go before him when the doors open. He presses the button for his floor, noting that the woman will be getting off first. "Are you new here," he asks as they start to go up. He only has a few floors to make a move.

"Something like that."

That's not exactly the answer Dongwoo had expected, but it only makes him more interested. He wants to know who this woman is and he wants her to get to know him too. Before now he'd been satisfied with being single (or, more like, he didn’t have any complaints). Staying out of trouble and keeping his secret safe was more important than dating. Maybe seeing Sunggyu and Woohyun together had reignited that part of him. Their burgeoning relationship makes him want one for himself.

All too soon the elevator comes to a stop and it dings as the doors open. “It was nice meeting you,” the woman says before stepping out of the elevator. She gives him a small wave and a smile.

“You know,” he starts, “if you ever need anything or someone to show you around, I’m just a few floors up. I mean, I’m sure you must have someone to talk to or, uh, yeah, but just in case you want another one.”

The woman’s smile grows (and Dongwoo’s heart speeds up in his chest). “I’ll keep that in mind.” With one last wave, she turns away and continues walking. Dongwoo hardly notices when the elevator reaches his floor, his mind still fixed on the woman. It’s not until he’s in front of his and Sunggyu’s door that he realizes he never asked the woman for her name. Nor did she ever offer it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I'm back after two months with an update for this. (It's been so long.) I'd like to blame the formatting of this chapter on How to Get Away With Murder since it kinda goes from the end to the beginning. (Ironically, I wrote this in the opposite order.) There's a lot of stuff happening here and I forget most of what I wanted to explain beforehand. By the end of the first part it should be obvious who the girl I introduced in the last chapter is. I haven't figured out how I want the villain/antagonist to be in this, so I'll just work it out as I go. There's a bit of woogyu in here as well as some hoyeol and a touch of hojong. There's also some backstory for Hoya; which I meant to write a few chapters ago. Also, I have plans for Sungyeol, but that's not coming up too soon. For now there's just a teeny-tiny hint if you can find it. I need to stop talking now. Enjoy~

Dongwoo stirs at the feeling of soft fingers on his cheek. He leans into the touch as his groggy mind tries to recall when he had fallen asleep. His eyes blink open slowly to take in unfamiliar surroundings. The room is white and bare, making him mistake it for a hospital room at first glance. When he tilts his head up slightly to see who’s touching him, he’s more than surprised to find Hyuna standing over him. He'd last talked to her in the morning as they shared an elevator.

"What are you doing here," he asks her, trying to sit up only for her to stop him with a hand on his shoulder. He's on some kind of examination table. The surface is hard and cold. "Where are we?" When Hyuna doesn't say anything Dongwoo attempts sitting up again. Hyuna's hand stays on his shoulder, but she doesn't hold him down. "What happened?" He's confused and disoriented and the lack of response isn't helping.

He reaches out to her, wanting to assure her that things will be okay even as he still doesn't know what's going on. She steps out of his reach almost immediately. Her eyes are trained on the floor, like she can’t bring herself to look at him. "I’m sorry," she says. With the apology comes a wave of sadness that further confuses Dongwoo as it washes over him.

"Sorry? Why are y—What are you talking about? Just tell me what’s going on." Now that he thinks about it, Dongwoo doesn’t remember much from the past couple of hours. He’d been on his way to meet Myungsoo and Sungjong for dinner. (Sunggyu and Woohyun were occupied with each other and Howon and Sungyeol were…similarly engaged.) He knows he got as far as the elevator, but after that it’s all blank. It seems like Hyuna is connected to that missing time; he just wants to know in what way.

Hyuna takes another step back when he reaches for her again. "I’m sorry," she says again. Just as Dongwoo’s about to get up from the table, the door to the room opens. (Dongwoo hadn’t even noticed there was a door. It blends in seamlessly with the walls.) A man steps inside. He's older, maybe late-forties or early-fifties, with a touch of gray in his hair. The crisp suit he has on seems more fitting for a boardroom or even a courtroom. Contrary to his serious attire, though, is the smile on his face when he looks at Dongwoo and Hyuna.

"Who are you?" Even as he asks the question the answer's already come to him. Sungjong had warned them of this happening, of someone searching for them because of their powers. The thought of his friends nearly makes his heart stop in his chest from fear. His optimistic side wants to believe they're safe, but deep down he knows if he's here then the chances of that being true aren't very good. He hides his panic by getting up from the table and standing as tall as his short (and slightly wobbly) legs will allow him.

The man smiles even wider at the question. "Ah, we should get the formalities over with first, shouldn't we? You can call me Dr. Moon for now." He moves to stand beside Hyuna and rests a hand on her shoulder. "And of course you already know my daughter."

Dongwoo's eyes fly to the only woman in the room. It all makes sense now. Their first meeting and every other time after that, her reluctance to talk about herself, her apology and the sadness and guilt Dongwoo can still feel radiating from her. It all makes sense now and Dongwoo feels so stupid for not realizing it sooner. This is all his fault.

 

\---

 

_Two Hours Earlier_

 

Although Howon is good at seeming cool and collected, in truth he's not all that confident. Especially when it comes to relationships. Myungsoo can attest to that as a longtime friend. It's a wonder they even became friends in the first place. Howon tends to keep to himself, letting others approach him first and speaking sparingly in social settings. He'd like to blame his personality on his family's background. Coming from so much money and power and having to deal with all the strings attached, there's always a spotlight on him. There's always someone watching him for whatever reason. That could be why he tries not to call too much attention to himself. It helps to avoid scrutiny if he blends in (with the crowd or the wallpaper, either's fine).

Of course, that became considerably more difficult when he realized that he wasn't normal. True to what Dongwoo had believed, Howon had thought there was a ghost attached to him. He hadn't minded too much, though. Even with two siblings he'd been somewhat lonely growing up. Enough so that having a lost soul following him around was oddly appealing. That delusion lasted up until the end of his first semester at college. He'd gotten into a fight with his father, their first fight ever. His older brother may have been the one set to succeed their father as the head of the company, but that hadn't meant Howon's life wasn't already mapped out. After months (which were preceded by years) of following his father's strict orders, Howon felt a rebellion was long overdue. He'd just wanted a bit of freedom, a chance to be a regular guy—even though that was close to impossible when his classmates were all too familiar with his name and his family.

So he had given up on the business degree and chosen acting instead. The school had a great theater program and that had been how he'd met Myungsoo. Howon knows he should have spoken with his parents first before suddenly changing his major. They'd been the ones paying for it and they even let him pick the school—which is why he picked the furthest one he could find that wasn't outside the country. When his father found out he'd demanded Howon switch back immediately. They had a screaming match over the phone with Howon threatening to run away (he was an adult, but an absent child wouldn't look good for his family's image) and his father threatening to cut him off financially.

They were at an impasse when they ended the call and Howon had been too mad to be concerned with how many people must have heard the argument. He'd sat on his bed in his dorm room, phone clutched in his hand and chest heaving as he caught his breath, when a book dropped from the bookcase next to it. More books followed the first as other things in the room started to move. The papers on his desk flew from their neat piles as if blown by the wind. The clothes in his closet were tossed carelessly across the room. In his anger he didn't notice that his room was being trashed by just his frustrated thoughts. He didn't even remember where he was until he heard a knock on the door and Myungsoo's voice calling him from the other side.

Taking in the sight of his dorm room, Howon had realized that there was no way anyone or anything else could have caused as much damage. He might not have physically pushed the bookcase to the floor or smashed the potted plant Myungsoo had given him, but he'd imagined it. He'd wanted to throw and break things and vent his anger and that's exactly what happened.

After that Howon retreats a bit more into himself. He’s afraid of himself and what he can do. Things move around him and he can’t blame it on a spirit. It takes a while before he can feel comfortable with himself and his abilities. He credits Myungsoo with keeping him from closing himself off completely. And then, of course, there's Dongwoo. The older man and his boundless optimism have taught Howon to not be afraid of his powers. He's helped him learn how to control it and use it—with a lesson or two from Sunggyu and Sungjong.

But the person Howon thinks has really changed him (or at least made him want to change) is Sungyeol. He's never gotten close to someone as quickly as he has with him. Especially when they're so different. Sungyeol is so bright, so outgoing, so likable, so _Sungyeol_. He brings Howon out of his shell whenever they're together. He makes him want to come even further out of his shell. Howon doesn’t need Myungsoo’s teasing or Sungjong’s knowing glances to tell him what he already knows. He knows what being nice to Sungyeol and buying him things and letting him get away with things he wouldn’t even let Myungsoo get away with means. He knows what the butterflies in his stomach and the blush he tries to hide whenever Sungyeol smiles at him mean.

The problem is Woohyun. Not the man himself, but the complicated history he has with Sungyeol. They used to like each other and now they’ve settled on friendship. Although Woohyun’s obviously moved on with Sunggyu, Howon knows Sungyeol isn’t quite there yet. There's still a part of him that likes Woohyun even though he's already chosen to move on. Howon doesn't want to be presumptuous, but he thinks there's a good chance he could be the one to help Sungyeol get over Woohyun. He thinks what they have could definitely lead to something more, that he's not alone with his feelings.

But as different as Howon is from before, he's still very much a coward. Fear of baring his heart and being rejected keeps him from confessing to Sungyeol. Instead he finds it easier to just be friends with him. There's no pressure when they're together the way they are now. Despite it just being the two of them, Howon is comfortable having dinner with Sungyeol. They've done this enough times that he isn't (that) distracted by his crush anymore. It still shows at times, though. Like when they're leaving the restaurant and Sungyeol's arm slips across Howon's shoulders.

"Sometimes I wish I was like you," Sungyeol admits, leaning more of his weight on Howon. His face is turned away, looking up at the sky.

This is probably the closest they've ever been physically. Howon wonders if that second bottle of soju might have something to do with it. Sungyeol had insisted and Howon didn’t really resist. He tamps down his surprise at the contact and focuses instead on the other’s words. "I get it; not just anyone can have a face like mine."

Sungyeol lets out a scoff that turns into a laugh. "If I wanted anyone’s face it would be Sungjong’s," he says through his chuckles.

"Not Myungsoo’s?"

"No, that’s too much. I want to be beautiful, but still approachable, you know?"

"You’re already beautiful," Howon states without thinking. After a few steps he realizes he’s walking by himself. When he looks back, Sungyeol is standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring at him. "What?"

Sungyeol doesn’t move any closer before he answers, much to Howon’s dismay. "You think I’m beautiful," he asks loud enough for a few passing people to hear.

He doesn’t seem fazed by the curious looks thrown their way, but Howon feels embarrassed enough for the both of them. He just admitted something he’s never said out loud before and complete strangers are around to witness it. Sungyeol’s still staring at him, obviously expecting some kind of response. "Uh, I-I just—I meant you're...you know."

Howon's flustered words seem to pull Sungyeol out of his shock. He finally takes a couple steps toward the other. "I don't know, actually," he says with a small smile. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

This is it, Howon thinks. This is the perfect opportunity for him to confess to Sungyeol. Especially when it seems like the younger man is expecting it. There's a pregnant pause as Howon searches Sungyeol's face for any clues as to his next move. He should know what he's doing (or what he should be doing), but he really doesn't. "You're...you said you wish you were like me."

Sungyeol's disappointment is almost palpable. His smile falls as he blinks back at Howon. It takes a moment for him to respond. "Yeah, I meant, you know, that I wish I could do what you do." Howon wouldn't blame him if he decided to just walk away. He kind of wants to do that himself. "I wish I had special powers too," Sungyeol admits quietly. He starts walking again and Howon falls into step beside him. There's a significant amount of space between them now.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Howon denies. It's not likely the conversation will go back to being as easy or light as before, but Howon doesn't want it to become unbearably awkward. "I don't think I'm all that special." Most of the time he feels out of place, like an outsider observing the ways of a foreign land. The feeling usually goes away when he's with the others (and Sungyeol especially).

Much like Howon's earlier, Sungyeol's response is automatic. "I think you're special." As they stop at a crosswalk he looks over at Howon. His face is too serious for him to be only saying that to make the other man feel better. The moment is interrupted by the sign changing to "walk". The people around them start crossing the street, leaving them no choice but to cross as well. By the time they reach the other side the serious look is gone from Sungyeol's face. He's smiling again. Not the wide, genuine kind of smile Howon is used to seeing, but it's not necessarily forced either. There's also less space between them—or so Howon would like to think. "I don't know what I'd want to do, though," Sungyeol says, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. "Telekinesis seems pretty cool."

"Not when you don't know what you're doing," Howon counters, "or that you're the one doing it."

"You seem like you know what you're doing, though."

Howon shakes his head, feeling modest from Sungyeol's sort-of-a-compliment. "I still have a lot to learn." Sungyeol smiles a bit wider, but doesn't say anything. The other man doesn't mind; he takes it to mean he didn't totally screw things up earlier. They walk another block in silence until they reach a small park. The streetlights shine down on the empty playground and pathways. It's too late at night to do anything besides pass through it. Sungyeol turns into the park without a glance back. "Where are you going," Howon asks him. He's walked Sungyeol home a few times, but they've never gone through the park.

"Shortcut," Sungyeol throws over his shoulder. He keeps walking, leaving Howon no choice but to follow him. The other looks back to street in search of his bodyguards. He'd told them to lay low for the time being just to give him and Sungyeol some privacy. He doesn't see any sign of them, though. When he looks back into the park he sees that Sungyeol's already gotten pretty far. His gut tells him to look into his missing protectors, but his mind tells him not to let Sungyeol out of his sight until he's safe at home. His mind wins fairly quickly. If there's any trouble he's mostly sure he can defend himself as well as Sungyeol.

Panic makes Howon's stomach drop when he finally steps into the park and doesn't see Sungyeol at all. As tall as the younger man is, he should be easy to spot. And yet, the park is seemingly empty save for Howon. "Sungyeol," he calls out, trying not to sound as scared as he feels. He can only hope nothing happened to the other in the short time his eyes weren't on him.

It's probably Howon's paranoid mind imagining another set of footsteps. He stops to check behind himself just in case, but of course there's no one there. That doesn't mean he's ready to let out the breath he's holding, though. Sungyeol hasn't answered him and Howon's starting to become less sure of who he should be more afraid for: himself or Sungyeol.

He's about to call out to Sungyeol again when everything goes black.

 

\---

 

_Six Hours Earlier_

 

"This is so inappropriate," Sunggyu says as Woohyun backs him up into a shelf. He's the only one who needs to be in the storage room; Woohyun's supposed to be downstairs at the counter. But of course the younger man would much rather take advantage of the two of them being alone in the store. "What if the boss comes in?"

Undeterred by the other's hypothetical, Woohyun's hands glide up Sunggyu's torso to wrap around his neck. "We'll hear him if he does. You know how he likes to announce himself." Plus, they're all the way at the back of the room; it's not like they're standing downstairs in the middle of the room. He leans in quickly to connect their lips—and probably stop Sunggyu from talking more. Sunggyu's hands automatically come up to hold Woohyun's waist, making him smile against Sunggyu's lips. The older man has a habit of pushing Woohyun away when he actually wants to pull him closer. Woohyun's still trying to break him out of that.

Sunggyu's just starting to let go of his hesitance when a strong wave of anxiety washes over him. He pulls away from Woohyun with a gasp. His back hits the shelf behind him, shaking the boxes on it. Woohyun's hands slip from around his neck as he takes a step back to study him.

"What is it? Did you hear something?"

Sunggyu can only shake his head. He doesn't really know how to explain what he's feeling or where it even came from. He's never felt as nervous as he does now. It's like he's having a panic attack, but there's absolutely no reason why he should be having one. His heart is hammering in his chest when he rests his hand over it. "I-I don't know what's happening," he tells Woohyun. His eyes are boring into Sunggyu to try to guess what might be wrong. Sunggyu closes his eyes and takes slow, deep breaths to calm his heartbeat. Woohyun's hands, tentative and unsure, start to run up and down his biceps, further soothing him. After a few minutes, Sunggyu lets his hand fall from his chest and opens his eyes.

"How do you feel," Woohyun asks him softly.

Although he's not as freaked out as before, there's still a whirlwind of emotions that Sunggyu is trying to sort through. Confusion, fear, panic. They're clouding his mind and sitting heavy on his chest. The confusion he thinks he can understand; it's mostly from the sudden onset of the other two emotions. The strange thing, though, is that Sunggyu isn't actually scared or panicked. Those aren't his feelings and yet he's feeling them both so strongly. Even before he wonders why or how, he already knows who these emotions are from.

"Dongwoo."

"What?"

"Dongwoo," Sunggyu repeats more urgently. The anxiety hasn't left him, but he can finally bring himself to move, to do something. "It's Dongwoo."

"What's wrong with Dongwoo?" Woohyun doesn't seem any closer to understanding Sunggyu.

He pushes past the younger man to leave the storage room. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do, where he’s going; he just knows something is wrong with Dongwoo and he needs to find him. "I don’t know what’s wrong with him," he says. Woohyun’s right behind him as he rushes down the stairs. He gets as far as the front door before Woohyun grabs his arm to bring him to a stop. "Something isn’t right. I can feel it."

 

\---

 

_Ten Hours Earlier_

 

From the moment Sungjong woke up he’d felt like something wasn't right, like something was off but he couldn't tell what it was. It had left him somewhat on edge for most of the morning. He'd been distracted while getting ready for work and unable to get through any of his breakfast thanks to the knots in his stomach. There's an itch under his skin that he can't seem to find. It's like his entire body is unsettled and making sure he knows it. He suspects it's related to his powers, but he's never felt like this before, during, or after a vision. Unless this is a new side of his powers or they’re growing in some way, he has no idea why he's reacting like this.

He plasters a smile on his face before he approaches his friends' table. They tend to worry about and fawn over him because he's the youngest and has one of the more burdensome abilities among them. If they knew there was something bothering him they'd get unnecessarily concerned and Sungjong would rather they focus on more important things.

"What are you guys doing here so early," he asks when he reaches them. Sungyeol and Howon are sitting on one side of the table while Myungsoo and Dongwoo take up the other side. Sunggyu and Woohyun must be off being all lovey-dovey—or they're busy running the record store, which probably doesn't stop them from being grossly sweet to each other. And although they're out of sight, Sungjong's sure Howon's bodyguards are around.

Sungyeol speaks up first, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his open palms. "We're here to see the flower boy barista, of course. Why else would we be here?" He bats his eyes up at Sungjong and the younger man has to remind himself that he's still on the clock. Hitting customers (even when they're so-called friends) is frowned upon.

"He's just here for free coffee," Myungsoo reveals. He sticks his tongue out at Sungyeol when the other shoots him a glare. Sungyeol keeps coming to the café when Sungjong's working to try to get free food. Sungjong always makes him pay, but he's pretty sure Sungyeol's managed to sweet talk a couple of his coworkers into giving him freebies.

"Well, he's not getting any from me," Sungjong states. He ignores Sungyeol's pout. One would think by now the older man would have realized his tricks don't work on Sungjong. Howon, though, is a different story. "Just ask Howon."

Sungyeol never asks Howon to buy or do anything for him. It's mostly out of pride, but it's not like he has to anyway. In his own painfully awkward way, Howon does Sungyeol's bidding without the other having to actually say anything. Sungyeol accepts his kindness with a mixture of confusion and bashfulness. And yet that never gets in the way of them exchanging teasing and snarky remarks. Sungjong finds their relationship adorable, probably because he knows what's coming. (Sungyeol's tried countless times to get Sungjong to tell him what he's seen, but the younger man doesn't want to spoil the surprise.)

Sungyeol glances at Howon before mumbling, "I can pay for my own drink."

"I don't mind," Howon insists.

"Does that mean you're paying for me, too?" Myungsoo looks across the table at his friend with barely hidden amusement. He doesn't need Sungjong's powers to see what's happening. (If only Sungyeol wasn't so blind.)

Howon scoffs, not as flustered as Myungsoo'd hoped. "When don't I pay for you?" Myungsoo concedes that point with a nod of his nod.

"Ooh, me too," Dongwoo pipes up. He raises his hand unnecessarily and Myungsoo reaches over to high-five him. That must be some sort of inside joke between the two of them as they both start laughing, leaving everyone else confused.

"I guess I'm paying for everybody," Howon sighs. He says it like he'd rather do anything else, but Sungjong can tell he's happy. Probably because Sungyeol hasn't tried to turn him down again.

Eventually Myungsoo and Dongwoo stop being weird and Sungjong takes their order. When he leaves to start making his friends' drinks, Howon tags along saying he might as well pay their bill now. Sungjong doesn't realize that's just an excuse until he gets to the front counter and Howon catches his arm before he can step behind it. He looks at the other questioningly.

"Are you okay?" Howon watches Sungjong's face carefully as he waits for the younger man's answer. He's obviously concerned, but trying not to show it.

Despite the front Sungjong had put up, Howon had still noticed that something was off with him. "Why wouldn't I be," he asks back. He doesn't want to say anything until he knows what he's feeling is warranted. He doesn't want the others to worry over nothing.

Howon starts to say something before he cuts himself off. "Never mind," he tells Sungjong. "Forget I said anything."

The fact that Howon gives up so easily almost makes Sungjong change his mind. If there's something making him uneasy—even if he can't pinpoint exactly what that something is—it might be best to tell someone who'll understand. Although he always complains when they tease him or treat him like a kid, this is the one time he wouldn't mind it so much. If Sungjong's being honest with himself, he's actually rather scared. He doesn't know how to explain what's happening to him or what it's supposed to mean. Keeping it to himself seems a lot harder now with Howon's caring eyes on him. But he does just that after a moment's hesitation. He nods in response to Howon's suggestion and lets their conversation end there.

Howon pays for the drinks and returns to his seat while Sungjong takes his time making them. Sungjong knows this won't be the last time Howon tries to talk to him. Especially considering how much he's already confided in Howon in the few weeks they've known each other. (Howon is actually a really great listener. The first couple of times they'd hung out as just the two of them, he'd let Sungjong talk as much as he wanted about whatever came to mind. Then he'd give whatever advice or feedback he felt was necessary. As odd as it sounds, Sungjong's ramblings had brought them closer.)

By the time Sungjong finishes his friends’ order, his fake smile is back on his face. He puts his short conversation with Howon to the back of his mind. The nagging sense of foreboding still hasn’t left him, though. And he’s sure it won’t go away until whatever’s going to happen happens. Of course by then it’ll be too late.

The table is unusually subdued when Sungjong comes over with the tray carrying the drinks. "Did someone die," he jokes. All he gets is a half-hearted chuckle from Dongwoo. With furrowed eyebrows, Sungjong looks at everyone at the table one at a time. Howon and Myungsoo avoid his eyes while Sungyeol and Dongwoo meet his gaze with identical looks of concern. "Am I missing something?" He already knows why his friends are so somber; he was expecting it after Howon had confronted him.

There’s a moment of silence before Sungyeol asks, "Did you have another vision?"

Under different circumstances, the way Sungyeol jumps when Myungsoo kicks him and everyone at the table (Sungjong included) collectively shush him would probably be funny. Thankfully, it's during a lull in the café, so there's barely anyone around to overhear them. Sungjong sets the tray on the table and pulls up a chair from an empty table. "It's not like that," he admits quietly.

"Did something happen to you," Howon presses. Clearly he hasn't stopped thinking about it despite how quickly he'd dropped the subject earlier.

Sungjong shakes his head in response. "It's not like that either. You guys don't have to worry so much about me. It's... It's stupid, really."

"If it's bothering you, then it isn't stupid." Dongwoo argues. "Just tell us what's wrong."

With a sigh, Sungjong drops his gaze to his lap. "I don't know," he starts slowly. "I don't know what's wrong, but I can feel it. Something just doesn't feel right. Does that make any sense?"

Sungyeol makes sure to keep his voice low when he speaks up again. "Do you think it has something to do with your powers? Like, you can sense the future or something?"

Sungjong can only shrug. That is a theory he'd been mulling over. He doesn't know the full extent of his powers; his body knowing things before his mind does could very well be another side to his abilities.

"What if it's something else?" All eyes turn to Myungsoo. He reaches for his drink before elaborating. "You said there was someone looking for you, right?"

"Us," Sungyeol interjects, indicating Myungsoo’s inclusion in the word.

Myungsoo rolls his eyes, but corrects himself. "There’s someone looking for _us_ , right?" Sungjong nods in agreement. "And you had that vision almost a month ago, but you couldn’t tell when it would happen. Maybe this feeling you have means it’s about to come true."

"We should tell Sunggyu and Woohyun," Dongwoo suggests. He already has his phone out, ready to call or send a message.

Sungjong puts his hand on the older man’s wrist. "We don’t have to. Not yet, at least." He speaks over Howon when he starts to disagree. Sungjong would like to think that this is his call. "Let’s just wait a little. It’s really not that bad and maybe it’ll go away soon. I don’t want them to be worried over something I can’t even prove."

Sungyeol and Myungsoo make noises of assent while Howon reluctantly nods. Dongwoo, on the other hand, isn’t as receptive. "They’ll still want to know," he insists.

"They will," Sungjong says, "I just don’t want to make too big of a deal out of this." Despite Dongwoo’s previous words, Sungjong still feels ridiculous. As nice and reassuring as it is to have his friends worrying about him, it’s also embarrassing. He’s made everyone nervous over what could turn out to be nothing. But he can’t decide if he would rather that outcome or for this feeling he has to really mean something.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise! This story isn't dead. I wasn't actually planning on writing any more to this any time soon, but while I was taking a short break from writing in general, I finally felt inspired enough to work on this story. This chapter's only about 2k words and I kind of wanted to write more, but I also really wanted to post something. Sungyeol, Dongwoo, and Sungjong aren't in this chapter because they'll be the focus of the next one (well, Sungyeol will be if I can make things work they way I want them to). I've been watching a lot of dramas lately, so I think that's why this chapter seems really dramatic to me. I want to update Seasons Change before I write another chapter for this story, but it's all up in the air at the moment. If anyone's still interested in this story I hope you enjoy this chapter. (And sorry for making you wait so long (╥_╥) )

"Sunggyu!"

Woohyun's voice is right behind Sunggyu and urgent, but Sunggyu doesn't stop. He pushes his legs to run faster and forces as much air into his lungs as he can. He's never run as hard or as much in his life, but he's never had a reason to. He doesn't know where he's going or where to even start looking for Dongwoo. There's just this strong overpowering feeling that his friend needs his help, that he's in danger.

Sunggyu's legs give out as he reaches the end of the block. He falls to his hands and knees. He hears Woohyun come to a stop next to him. There's a long minute of silence while they catch their breaths. "Where...where are you going," Woohyun pants. He's hunched over with his hands on his knees. (Clearly he's in much better shape than Sunggyu.)

"I don't know. I don't know where he is, but I'll find him. I have to." There aren't a lot of things that can make Sunggyu cry, or generally emotional. He tends to keep his emotions in check. But right now he doesn't feel like he has any control over his feelings. He's scared and exhausted and worried and so confused. He doesn't know what he would do if something bad happened to Dongwoo. He could never forgive himself if he found him too late.

Woohyun crouches down to get to Sunggyu's eye level. His voice is soft, almost hesitant, when he speaks. "I think we should go back to the store."

Sunggyu turns his head sharply to face Woohyun. "But Dongwoo—" he starts incredulously before Woohyun cuts him off.

"He's out there somewhere. And I want to find him too, but we should calm down first before we try to do anything. Let's go back to the store and I'll call the others and make sure they're okay. It'll be easier to find Dongwoo if we have more people looking for him."

The rational part of Sunggyu knows that Woohyun is making sense. It's exactly what he would say if he was in his right mind. But there's another part of Sunggyu that just wants to be rash. It wants to scour the city until he finds Dongwoo, without a plan or backup. It's very unlike him. The first sob takes Sunggyu by surprise. He collapses onto the ground, his hands coming up to cover his face. Tears start to fall as more sobs come. He doesn't notice Woohyun's arms are holding him until he feels the steady warmth of the other's chest against the hands covering his face. "I'm so scared," he admits quietly. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do or how he can possibly find Dongwoo with nothing to go on but a feeling.

Woohyun's hands rub slow circles on Sunggyu's back. His voice is gentle, comforting. "Me too. But we're gonna find him, okay? We will."

Sunggyu knows Woohyun doesn't quite understand what's happening. One minute things were fine and the next, Sunggyu was sprinting out of the store without much of an explanation. But it's not like Sunggyu can explain it any more than he already has. It's like he has an emotional link to Dongwoo; he can feel what he's feeling. "What if something happened to him? What if we don't find him in time? I can't lose him."

"I'm sure he's okay. We're gonna find him," Woohyun says again. "Everything will be okay."

 

\---

 

Myungsoo is waiting for them when they get back to the record store. He has his phone to his ear, a frown pulling down the sides of his mouth. Woohyun had called him while he and Sunggyu were walking back. Sungyeol, Howon, and Sungjong hadn't answered when he tried to call them. "Howon's not picking up," Myungsoo says, ending the unanswered call.

Woohyun pushes open the door to the store to let the three of them in. After Sunggyu had bolted out in search of Dongwoo, Woohyun had only been able to turn the open sign over to closed so he could keep up with the older man. He can only hope no one ignored the sign while they'd been gone. "We should try calling Sungyeol and Sungjong again," he suggests. Sunggyu still seems to be shaken up, so Woohyun takes that as his cue to step up. "Maybe they just missed our calls before. And if not, then let's hope they're all together and safe wherever they are."

Myungsoo nods in agreement. "I'll call Sungjong again." While the two of them try to get a hold of Sungjong and Sungyeol, Sunggyu goes to sit behind the counter. He should be doing something to help. He wants to. But he feels helpless. Despite his powers, it feels like there's nothing he can do. _Dongwoo would know what to do_ , he thinks wryly. With a sigh, he drops his head onto the counter.

"Sungyeol's not answering," Woohyun says. Sunggyu can hear the frown in his voice.

"Neither is Sungjong," Myungsoo adds. They're both standing on the other side of the counter. In the short silence that follows, Sunggyu wonders if they're waiting for him to come up with a plan. Four of their friends are missing—most likely taken by the faceless threat they've been anticipating—if any time called for Sunggyu to be the leader they'd all made him out to be, it's now. Unfortunately, Sunggyu has no clue where to start.

"How do you feel now?" Sunggyu picks his head up to look at Woohyun. "Can you still feel Dongwoo," the other continues, "Does it still seem like he's in danger?"

In his haste to find Dongwoo and his subsequent breakdown, Sunggyu hadn't actually tried to sort which emotions were his. Dongwoo's panic had quickly become his own and the new level to his powers had been pushed aside. "I... I don't know," he admits. Helplessness, fear, anxiety; those are all his own feelings. Whatever connection he'd had with Dongwoo is gone now. "I don't think I can feel him anymore."

"You can do that?" Myungsoo looks between Sunggyu and Woohyun with wide eyes. Woohyun hadn't mentioned that during their brief phone conversation.

"That's how we knew something was wrong," Woohyun answers instead. "He could feel what Dongwoo was feeling, like they had some kind of emotional psychic link."

"So you're an empath."

"A what," Sunggyu asked.

Myungsoo let out a sigh of frustration. "You get superpowers out of nowhere and you don't bother to at least pick up a book? Empathy, you know, being able to understand what someone is feeling. In psychic terms, it means being able to actually feel someone else's emotions. Either you and Dongwoo have a mental or psychic bond or it's not just him and you know what everyone's feeling."

Sunggyu really hopes it's the first choice. Dealing with everyone's thoughts had been hard enough. Piling emotions on top of that would surely drive him insane.

"You should try it again," Myungsoo suggests.

"I wasn't exactly trying the first time."

Myungsoo brushes off his words. "The point is you should try reaching out to him. Maybe he'll sense you and he can tell you where he is."

Woohyun nods and reaches out to rest a hand on top of one of Sunggyu's hands. "It's worth a shot."

Sunggyu doesn’t feel as confident as the other two seem to be, but he’s willing to try anything if it means finding Dongwoo. He lets his eyes fall shut as he focuses on his friend. He thinks of Dongwoo’s face and his voice and calls out to him in his mind. There’s no answer. Just the quiet of the record store, Woohyun and Myungsoo watching him expectantly. Sunggyu doubles his effort as he concentrates harder on reaching Dongwoo’s mind. He’s almost desperate when he calls for him again. The moment his mind touches someone else’s feels like stepping into an air-conditioned room. It feels different from how he remembers Dongwoo’s mind, more closed off, but Sunggyu still calls his name one more time.

Only the voice that answers isn’t Dongwoo’s.

 

\---

 

Howon winces at the pain that shoots through his arm as he throws his shoulder against the metal door in front of him. It hadn't budged the last five times he tried to break it, but he still wanted to give it another try. He's managed to remain calm despite waking up in an empty room with no memory of how he got there. His first thought had been of Sungyeol. He hopes the other is safe and unharmed wherever he might be.

Giving up on breaking down the door, Howon rubs his now sore shoulder. (It'll be bruised by the next day, but that's not very important at the moment.) He wouldn't have been able to get the door open anyway. There's no handle or knob and no hinges on his side. That means the only way to get in is electronically, probably by a keypad on the outside. If the hinges were on the inside, Howon could've used his powers to twist out the screws and make it easier to open the door. Now, his best bet is waiting for whoever took him to open the door for him. He's counting on catching them by surprise since they must already know what he can do. He hasn't found any cameras in the room so far. There's absolutely nothing at all in the room. Just plain gray walls, plain stone floor, bright fluorescent lights overhead. Not exactly a jail cell, but close enough.

Howon presses his back to the wall next to the door and slides down until he's sitting on the floor. He can't save anyone let alone himself from in here. He feels useless. What's the point of having superpowers if he can't even use them when he needs them the most? Pulling his knees up to his chest, he wraps his arms around his legs.

His thoughts drift to the others. He and Sungyeol seem to have been caught, but he has no idea how the rest of them are doing. Sunggyu and Woohyun had been together at the store. Did someone go there for them? Or follow them when they left? Myungsoo, Dongwoo, and Sungjong had all been alone. Were there people following them too? All Howon can do is wonder and hope. He has no way of really knowing.

_...Dongwoo..._

Howon doesn't recognize the voice at first. It's too faint, like he's hearing it through thick glass. He knows he's alone, but he still looks around the room. Of course, there's no one else.

_...Dongwoo..._

The voice is louder this time and Howon thinks he knows who it is. Sunggyu isn't looking for him, but he's now Howon's only option for finding a way out. Howon closes his eyes, trying to sense the other man in his mind.

_Dongwoo_ , Sunggyu calls again. His voice is perfectly clear to Howon now. Almost as if they're sitting next to each other.

_Wrong mind. It's Howon, actually._ Despite his current situation (or maybe because of it), he somehow maintains his sense of humor. It's mostly another way to keep himself from panicking.

_Are you okay? Where are you? Is Sungyeol with you?_ Sunggyu’s relief and concern are evident in his words.

_I don’t know where I am, but I’m fine. I’m in a locked room. I haven’t found a way out yet._

_And Sungyeol?_

Howon hesitates. Even though there was nothing he could do, it still feels like it’s his fault. _I… I don’t know. We were walking back from dinner and then everything went black. I don’t know if whoever took me got him too._

_I think they did_ , Sunggyu replies. _He hasn’t answered any of our calls._

_“Our”?_

_Oh, right. I’m with Woohyun and Myungsoo. We’re at the record store. Dongwoo and Sungjong are also missing. I was trying to reach Dongwoo, but I’m glad you’re okay. We’re coming for you guys._

For the first time since waking up in this place, Howon feels the tension in his shoulders ease. He may not know where he is or who abducted him or why, but he still has hope. Hope that he’ll get the answers to those questions and hope that he’ll find a way out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should really try to update Seasons Change, but I'm feeling a lot more motivated to work on this story right now. That kinda makes things difficult, though, because I keep thinking about stuff to write for the next chapter when I should be focusing on what I'm currently writing. So, this chapter focuses on Sungjong, Dongwoo, and Sungyeol and it should answer at least some of the questions you guys probably have by now. Also, I'm not a doctor or scientist, but let's pretend I know what I'm talking about. Okay, I'll stop talking now. Enjoy~

This is all Sungjong's fault. He knew this was coming—he saw it before anyone else even knew about it. So, knowing the future he should've done something to stop it or at least change the outcome. That's what he's always thought his powers were for. He was given them to make a difference; to affect the future for the better. But now he's failed.

He lets his head fall back against the wall. There's no way of knowing how long he's been in this room or even where he is. His memory is completely blank after he finished his shift at the café. He knows he had been alone and the nagging uneasiness still hadn't left him. And then he woke up in an empty room with no windows and a hard-to-find door. Rather than being scared, though, Sungjong only feels disappointed. He's disappointed with himself. The other guys would tell him not to be so hard on himself. It's not like he knew the date and time that they would be found. But he should've been more careful. He'd been too worried about making a big deal out of nothing. He should've let Dongwoo tell Sunggyu and Woohyun. They should've all stayed together.

There's nothing he can do about it now, though. His vision didn't tell him what would happen to them, but he can guess. Half of them have superhuman abilities and the other half could be useful in some way or another. His stomach drops at the possibilities.

The sound of the door sliding open pulls Sungjong from his thoughts. He presses his back flat against the wall as if that'll make him less visible in a room with absolutely nothing else in it. A man comes in holding a metal tray. He looks a bit older than Sungjong, but not as old as the man in his vision. The stranger sets the tray down next to the door without a word and leaves the room just as suddenly as he'd entered. From the other side of the small room, Sungjong can see that he's been brought food. He finds the gesture odd seeing as he has no reason or intention to trust whoever kidnapped him. The meal looks harmless. There's generous portion of rice and a good amount of side dishes and even a bottle of water. But with no way of knowing what else they might've added to the food, he's wary of touching it.

Unfortunately, only his mind appears to be cautious. His stomach growls as the scent of tofu stew wafts over to him. He doesn't know how long it's been since the last time he ate. After skipping breakfast, his lunch had been a small sandwich from the café and he never managed to eat dinner. He couldn't have been unconscious for more than twelve hours, but as he has no idea how he became unconscious in the first place, it's still a possibility. So now that he finally has an opportunity to eat, telling himself there could be sedatives or poison in the meal isn't working.

Sungjong decides to test the water first. Once he crawls closer to the tray, he examines the bowls more intently. Nothing looks suspicious, though he notices that the utensils are all metal. It's like they expect him to just let them hold him captive. Picking up the unopened water bottle, he turns it upside down to check if it’s been tampered with or injected with something. He hesitates before twisting the cap off. The water is cool on his tongue. He doesn't realize how thirsty he'd been until he stops for a breath and sees that he's already drunk half of it.

At first, he resolves to only eat the rice. It seems like the safest bet and he's sure he can be full with just that. But after a few spoonfuls the taste becomes bland. He tries a sip of the stew and then another. In a matter of minutes, he's halfway through the stew and moving on to the radish salad and seasoned bean sprouts. He focuses on filling his stomach as quickly as he can, all caution set aside. It only takes him another five minutes or so before he's sure he can't eat any more.

Pushing the empty tray in front of the door, Sungjong leans against the wall next to it. He's not any closer to trusting whoever took him, but he's slowly starting to believe that they might not want to hurt him. Or maybe that's what they want him to think. Maybe they want him to let his guard down. He doesn't see how he can be of any use to them, though. It's not like he has any control over what he sees or when he sees it. They can't force anything out of him, but he doubts that'll stop them.

Just as he has that thought, a sudden wave of dizziness overcomes him. Luckily, he's already sitting down. He closes his eyes, pulls up his legs and puts his head between his knees. Although it helps, Sungjong knows the feeling isn't going away any time soon. Along with the dizziness comes temporary paralysis as he experiences the future firsthand.

The feeling comes first. Sweat beads on his forehead, like the temperature of the room has gone up twenty degrees. Breathing becomes harder. Sungjong coughs to try to clear his lungs. As he takes a few deep breaths, the smell of smoke fills his nose. When he opens his eyes again he's no longer in the empty room. There's almost too much smoke to see, but he's sure he's in a hallway. Covering his mouth and nose with one hand, he uses the other to feel around. His hand slides along the wall while he inches forward slowly. He doesn't know where the fire is or if there still is one. He should either find a way out or find the others, neither of which seems very possible at the moment. He doesn't realize his hearing is gone until he feels a strong grip on his arm. He's expecting someone trying to stop him from escaping, but instead he spins around to find Howon. The concern and fear on his face are evident even if Sungjong can't hear the words coming out of his mouth. Howon seems to be asking if he's okay judging by the way he looks Sungjong over, so the younger man nods in assent. He's pulled into a tight hug by Howon after he lets out a big sigh of relief. Sungjong returns the gesture, though he's more confused than anything else.

And just as suddenly as it came, the vision ends. Sungjong blinks up at the white ceiling. His skin feels cool again and the tightness in his chest is gone, but his heart is still thudding. He wishes he'd had more time; that he could've talked to Howon and found out what was happening. Unfortunately, all he's left with are more questions than answers.

 

\---

 

It's not until the door shuts behind Dr. Moon that Dongwoo lets his fatigue show. He slumps onto the table, whatever strength he'd pretended to have leaving him. What he'd just gone through wasn't exactly torture, but he doesn't think he can take any more. Whenever he uses his powers it's never this exhausting. This stressful. But then again, he's never been forced to use it or had someone drawing his blood and measuring his brain waves at the same time. To make things harder, he’d been looking at Hyuna's memories. He saw their first meeting, a couple of the dates they had gone on, and even some of her childhood memories. Now that it's all over Dongwoo feels more tired than he's felt in a long time. As well as a deep sadness that he's not sure is really his own emotion.

Hyuna's light touch on his arm reminds him that she's still in the room. She hasn't said anything since her father came in. Her silence continues as she tapes a piece of gauze over the needle puncture on Dongwoo's forearm. The sadness Dongwoo feels doubles when their eyes meet.

"You have a power, too, don't you?" Dongwoo weakly reaches for her hand when she starts to turn away from him. She could easily shake him off, but she doesn't. "What is it?"

"It's..." Her voice trails off like she's not sure how to say it or if she should tell him. He squeezes her hand to let her know he's there for her. (Ironically, given his current situation.) "I was like your friend at first," Hyuna says slowly. "The mind reader. It started when I was ten. I hid it from my family for a few years until my father found out. I thought he would kick me out or send me somewhere to hide that I wasn't normal. But he didn't push me away. He was actually happy for me. Together we figured out how I could control my powers and what else I was capable of. It's not just telepathy now. I can do so much with my mind. And with anyone else's mind. He calls my powers a gift, something that can be used to make a difference."

"So now you work for him."

"I work _with_ him," Hyuna corrected Dongwoo as she turned to face him fully. Her hand slipped out of his. "I'm helping him."

Dongwoo musters what little strength he has left to pull himself up into a sitting position. "He’s using you," he insists, his voice pleading with her. "Just like he's using me and my friends."

"We're not hurting any of you."

"Then why did you bring us here like this," he argued. "If you meant well, why didn't you just ask us about our powers? Maybe we would have come willingly." Hyuna breaks their eye contact, a subtle admittance of guilt. Dongwoo wants to believe there's a chance he could get through to her. That she hasn't been completely brainwashed by her father. "Look, I don't know what your father plans to do with my blood or with my friends, but this isn't right. You can't lock us up like this just to do whatever you're trying to do."

Hyuna stays silent for a long while. She doesn't seem any closer to agreeing with Dongwoo. He reaches out again for her. This time she avoids him, taking a couple steps back. "You should get some rest," she says. Her voice has lost all warmth, her tone serious and indifferent. She seems like a completely different person. Admittedly, though, Dongwoo realizes that what he's learned about Hyuna up until he woke up here is probably a lie. As he starts to think she's just going to leave without saying anything else, she turns around at the door. "I'm sure it's hard to right now, but once you hear my father's vision I hope you'll see the bigger picture."

Dongwoo really wants to believe her; he wishes it was that easy. But the fact that she thinks using him for his powers and experimenting on him and his friends is necessary makes it impossible.

 

\---

 

Sungyeol watches the woman leave the room. She hadn't spoken a word to him as she hooked him up to a couple of machines and made sure he was completely restrained on the table. And Sungyeol had kept quiet as well. The stony look on her face easily deterred any thought of communication.

He doesn't think she's the person who wanted him in this place, but he suspects she might be the one who brought him here. His memory of the night is hazy. He remembers having dinner with Howon and walking with him afterwards. (The other man had seemed so close to admitting his feelings. In his current situation, Sungyeol hasn't decided if it's better that he hadn't.) Shortly after that is where his brain goes blank. He has no recollection of how his walk with Howon ended. He's ruled out being forcefully taken as he had woken up in an empty room entirely unharmed. He wouldn't have intentionally walked into this place, but maybe he didn't have a choice.

Sungyeol's eyes drift away from the door to the machines now monitoring him. There's one for his heartbeat and another attached to his temples, most likely tracking his brain activity. He has enough common sense to know that this means they plan to experiment on him. His hands clench into fists as panic washes over him. This must be what Sungjong's vision was meant to warn them about. Whoever had been looking for them wants to study them and use them like lab rats. He doesn't see how he can be of any use when he doesn't have any powers, though. But maybe his captors don't know he's powerless. Or maybe they do and they have other plans for him. All Sungyeol has are questions and maybes and it's as frustrating as it is scary.

He hopes the others aren't in the same position as him. There's a chance Howon might be since he was with Sungyeol, but he doesn't know about the rest of them. Along with Howon, Sungyeol is the most worried about Woohyun. His friend is as powerless as he is and more connected to this than he is. He hopes the other won't end up like him and he hopes if he's safe, that he'll stay that way. Knowing Woohyun, though, Sungyeol knows he won't just sit back and do nothing. He won't let his lack of superhuman abilities keep him from finding Sungyeol.

When the door slides open again, Sungyeol expects the same woman. Instead a middle-aged man enters the room. There's something familiar about his face, but what really catches Sungyeol's eye is the white lab coat the man has on over his suit. He's seen enough movies to know that if you're tied to a table and someone in a lab coat shows up, it's not going to end well. He tries to hide his growing fear as the man walks closer to him.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the man says when he reaches Sungyeol. He has a warm smile on his face as if he isn't holding someone against their will and planning on using him as a test subject. It makes Sungyeol's skin crawl. He would almost feel better if the other was more intimidating like the woman before him. It's so much more unnerving when the man looks so happy and normal. "Forgive me for the, uh, accommodations. It’s for your own safety. I tried to make this as pleasant as possible, but this is a place of science, after all. And science isn't always pleasant."

Sungyeol has a few choice words for him, but he doesn't want to die any faster than he probably already will.

"Ah, where are my manners? I'm Dr. Moon. I believe we'll get to know each other better while you're here, although I know quite a bit about you already, Sungyeol." It's not all that surprising that this man—this so-called doctor—knows anything about him, but Sungyeol can't help wondering what exactly he knows and how he got that information. "You must want to know why I brought you here. Especially since you don't seem to have any gifts."

"It's not that hard to guess," Sungyeol blurts before he can stop himself. He tugs at the restraints around his wrists. "And being tied to a table helps. I'm a lab rat, right? You're going to torture me and call it an experiment. Or test me to see if I'll magically develop superpowers."

Dr. Moon's smile grows. "I must admit I thought you only looked smart," he says, slowly moving to the other side of Sungyeol where the machines are still monitoring him. He turns his back to Sungyeol and continues talking. "You are onto something, but I’m afraid you're mistaken. That’s not exactly the full extent of my plans. I don’t intend to hurt you. I’m going to help you. Doesn’t everyone grow up wishing they could do the impossible? That they could do something truly incredible and feel special? I'm sure you did. And I hope to make that dream a reality."

As the doctor turns around, Sungyeol spots a small syringe in his hand. It seems to be filled with a dark liquid. "What's that for?" Sungyeol feels close to throwing up, but also like his heart and stomach are lodged in his throat. The fear of what might happen to him pales in comparison to being moments away from actually finding out. He's good at putting up a front, but on the inside Sungyeol is very much a coward.

"Your friends have been very helpful," Dr. Moon replies.

Though it doesn't quite answer Sungyeol's current question, it does answer the earlier one he'd wondered to himself. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how many of his friends have been taken or what's been done to them. And he doesn't think he wants to know. He feels bad enough already. "If you've gotten what you need from them, you should let them go now," he says, trying to keep his voice from shaking. It's probably too late to save himself, but he can at least try to save the others.

The man ignores him. He sets the syringe on the table next to Sungyeol and pulls a long rubber tube from his coat pocket. Tying the tube tightly around Sungyeol's bicep, the doctor then slaps lightly on his forearm until his veins become prominent. It's not until he picks up the syringe again that Sungyeol starts struggling. He twists and thrashes as best as he can under the restraints, his breathing erratic. He's almost completely sure that he's about to be injected with blood, _his friends' blood_ most likely. From everything he'd learned about biology, Sungyeol doubts this will give him superpowers. That’s not how those things work. Which means he's probably going to die.

He stops futilely trying to break free when Dr. Moon's grip bites into his arm. Despite his age, he still seems to have a good amount of strength. Sungyeol reluctantly goes still, the pain in his arm an obvious warning. He has no choice but to watch as the needle breaks the skin and the unknown contents of the syringe goes directly into his veins.

There's a burning sensation that starts at the injection site and slowly spreads as the liquid travels further into his body. Sungyeol squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation of pain. It doesn't come. Instead, an odd warmth settles over him. Dr. Moon is still standing above him when he opens his eyes. His face becomes blurry as Sungyeol blinks up at him. It becomes harder to make the other out the more he tries to focus on him. The last thing Sungyeol hears is Dr. Moon’s calm voice telling him to relax.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to think I know when and how this story is going to end, but who knows. This chapter is pretty short and not exciting at all. It does have a bit of cute woogyu as a break from all of the serious stuff. Plus, a quick update on Hoya since it's been a couple chapters. There'll be a lot more action in the next chapter and hopefully the gang will be reunited. We'll see.

For a few short moments after Sunggyu wakes up, he's forgotten everything that's happened in the last twenty-four hours. He forgets that Dongwoo, Howon, Sungjong, and Sungyeol are missing. He forgets the panic and fear that had gripped him. For almost ten seconds, it's just like any other day.

Sunggyu turns over on the couch that he quickly realizes isn't his own and cracks his eyes open one at a time. It all comes back to him at once and he holds in the heavy sigh threatening to come out. This is Woohyun's apartment. Sunggyu hadn't wanted to go back to his own knowing Dongwoo wouldn't be there. He must've fallen asleep, though he doesn't remember feeling tired. As he takes in his surroundings, he finds that he's alone in the living room. He doesn't have to wonder where Woohyun might be for very long. The smell of fresh coffee is in the air and he can hear the clinking of dishes.

After a quick stop at the bathroom, Sunggyu goes to join Woohyun in the kitchen. The younger man is busy setting the table, a frilled apron around his waist. He doesn't seem to notice Sunggyu until he's standing right next to him. "You're up," he states unnecessarily. "You must be hungry. You did sleep for almost ten hours. I'm almost done with breakfast, okay?"

Sunggyu nods, a small smile pulling at his lips. Despite their current situation, Woohyun still manages to think about someone other than himself. Probably because it's his way of coping. Keeping his mind and body busy keeps him from panicking or shutting down. Sunggyu is more grateful to have a friend like Woohyun than he thinks he can ever put into words. Especially because he's not handling things quite as well. He blames himself for all of this even though the rational part of him knows there was nothing he could've done. He's supposed to be the leader—unofficially, but still. It's his responsibility to look out for everyone, to keep everyone safe. With everything that's happened, he's obviously doing a piss-poor job.

_It's not your fault._ Woohyun's voice is gentle even in Sunggyu's head as he reaches out to give a comforting squeeze to Sunggyu's shoulder. "We're all in this together, you know. Me, you, Myungsoo. And the others, too."

Sunggyu can only nod again. He does feel a little better. He's still worried and scared and unsure of what to do, but the weight on his shoulders is more manageable now. He takes a seat at the table as Woohyun goes back to the stove. "Why'd you put down three plates," he asks, looking around the small table.

"Myungsoo's coming over. He was meeting with Howon's bodyguards, but he should be here soon." Just as the words leave Woohyun's mouth, his door buzzes. He and Sunggyu glance at each other in surprise.

"I'll get it," Sunggyu volunteers as he stands up. He gestures for Woohyun to get back to cooking, but the other stays rooted to his spot. He has that sheepish grin on his face that tells Sunggyu he must be up to something. "What?"

Woohyun looks down at his feet, unnecessarily shy. "You forgot something," he says quietly.

"And what's that?"

In lieu of an answer, Woohyun shuffles over to Sunggyu like a kid. Sunggyu can't say he was expecting anything else when Woohyun presses their lips together for a short kiss. They’ve know each other too long for him to really be surprised by anything Woohyun does. "Good morning," the younger man greets him belatedly.

A slow smile spreads across Sunggyu's face. "Have you always been this cute," he asks teasingly, his hands naturally settling on the other's waist. Having spent most of their friendship not consciously thinking of Woohyun in that way, Sunggyu is only now coming to the realization.

"All my life," Woohyun responds immediately. He doesn’t seem at all embarrassed by his answer. "Took you long enough to notice, though."

 

\---

 

The relief Sungyeol feels at not dying only lasts a few seconds after he opens his eyes. His body feels like it's burning from the inside out. Like his organs and bones are being boiled. It hurts just to breathe and even more if he moves. He's still lying on the table with the machines monitoring him. The metal feels hot under his fingers; he can even feel it through his clothes.

He's alone in the room as far as he can tell. That doesn't seem to be a good thing, though, since what Sungyeol could really use now is a glass of water. His mouth and throat are dry and with the amount of sweat he can feel on his skin, he's sure he must be dehydrated. _So much for hospitality_ , he thinks wryly. Not that he ever believed Dr. Moon's good guy act.

As he starts to bring a hand up to wipe the sweat rolling down his forehead, he realizes that his arms aren't tied down anymore. Neither are his legs. It seems shortsighted to Sungyeol at first. If he's here against his will, he's bound to seize any opportunity to escape. But when he thinks about it, they must already know how weak he is; that he's not a threat to anyone. He doesn't think he can sit up let alone stand up and walk out the door. And the pain isn't going anywhere.

But he has to try.

He probably won't get very far, not in this state. But he doesn't want to lie around waiting to be Dr. Moon's guinea pig. His first attempt to get up doesn't go very well. His body doesn't respond when he tries to raise himself up to his elbows. He decides instead to roll himself off the table. There's a very small chance he'll land on his feet, but if all else fails he can just crawl across the floor. First, he pulls off the cords connecting him to the heart and brain monitors. It wouldn't help to bring those down with him and give anyone a reason to come in while he's trying to escape. He slides his legs slowly to one side of the table, wincing quietly at the pins and needles he feels when he moves. Once he reaches the edge, he braces himself before letting his legs fall over. The rest of his body follows soon after and lands with a thump. Sungyeol lays face down on the floor for what could be minutes or hours. It's hard to tell when the prickling under his skin has intensified. Every part of his body hurts and he starts to think this was a bad idea. As determined as he is, that's not nearly enough for him to get further than this. He has no strength, no energy. He might be able to crawl his way to the door, but he's not sure how he'll get out.

In the end, his efforts prove to be futile. The door slides open just as Sungyeol finishes catching his breath. His eyes fall on a pair of heels. He's never seen the shoes before, but he already knows who's standing in them.

There's an almost sad look in the woman's eyes when she crouches down. She must find him pitiful lying on the floor like this, Sungyeol thinks with dismay. It's not as much a hit to his pride as another reason to be afraid. If they see him suffering like this she or Dr. Moon might decide to put him out of his misery.

"What are you doing?"

The question is unnecessary. It's obvious what Sungyeol was trying to do. "Just stretching my legs," he replies slowly. His voice is raspy and his throat is hoarse, but somehow the least painful part of him.

The response brings the tiniest of smiles to the woman’s face. She stands up and walks closer to Sungyeol, looming too high over him for him to crane his neck to look at her. "This will be a lot easier if you only do what you’re supposed to," she tells him.

 

\---

 

Howon should be worried about himself. From what that supposed doctor has told him, he's using Howon and Sungyeol, Sungjong, and Dongwoo in some insane experiment that _should_ work. He hasn't said what he intends to do with them when it's over—if they even make it that far. They must know too much by now and if any of them expend their usefulness, there's no telling what might happen to them. But the only thing—the only person—Howon can seem to think about is Sungyeol. He feels responsible for whatever happens to the other. It's his fault they're here in the first place.

His feelings for Sungyeol also aren't helping. He wants to protect him and make sure he's safe no matter the risk, but he needs to be rational. It wouldn't do either of them any good for Howon to lose control. Which is why he'd let Dr. Moon draw his blood without a fight. For Sungyeol's sake he'll cooperate as best as he can.

The one thing that has kept Howon going in the three days (according to Sunggyu) that he's been imprisoned, is Sungyeol's smile. He'll never admit that to anyone, not even Sungyeol himself. But it's still the truth. The other's smile has a warmth and radiance to it that gives Howon hope. Hope that he'll get out, hope that he'll see Sungyeol again, hope that everything will be okay.

_Am I interrupting something?_

Sunggyu's voice jars Howon from his thoughts. He ends up looking around the empty room, momentarily forgetting that the other man isn't physically with him. _Try knocking next time_ , he thinks back. The fact that he can't see Sunggyu's face (and subsequently avoid the knowing looks he'd send him) makes him even more embarrassed. He really hopes Sunggyu won't bring up how much his thoughts center around Sungyeol.

Sunggyu's laugh echoes in Howon's head. _I'm pretty sure that's impossible, but I'll keep it in mind next time._

_Thanks. Is there a reason you're in my head or do you get a kick out of eavesdropping on people's thoughts?_

_There is something I wanted to talk about_ , Sunggyu replies. He still sounds too amused to Howon. _But now I'm curious. Are you always thinking about Sungyeol or is it just because you don't have anything else going on?_

Not for the first time, Howon wonders why out of the four of them Sunggyu had to invade his mind. _Can you just get to your point? ___

_You're no fun._ Howon rolls his eyes, but waits for Sunggyu to continue. _Myungsoo has a theory. We were trying to figure out why I can't get through to any of the other guys and he thought there might be something—or someone—blocking me._

_Like some kind of signal blocker?_

_Sort of_ , Sunggyu agreed. _Have you noticed anything? Is there anyone who might have that kind of power?_

Howon goes silent for a moment, wracking his brain for anything unusual (well, more unusual). _There is... Do you know someone named Hyuna?_

_No. Should I?_

_Dongwoo introduced me to her once; they seemed like friends. I thought he might've mentioned her to you._

_Well, what about her_ , Sunggyu asked. 

Howon can tell he already knows the answer. _She's here. But she's not locked up like the rest of us._

_She’s one of them._


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After three months I'm finally back with a new chapter. I want to say there's a relation between how long this is and how long it took me to write it, but that's not true. I just have motivation/inspiration problems. But anyways, there's a lot going on in this chapter. I don't want to give anything away, though, so I'll leave it at that. I should also mention that this might be the second to last chapter. Things feel like they're wrapping up now, so I think the next chapter will be the last. I might add an epilogue, though. We'll see.

The next time Sungyeol regains consciousness, he finds the woman, Dr. Moon, and a man he's never seen before standing over him. He doesn't know when he'd fallen asleep (or most likely passed out), but he does know that the pain is gone. There's still the uncomfortable heat under his skin, like he's running an impossibly high fever. Thankfully, it no longer feels like he's dying a slow and painful death.

He's lying on the table again, his arms and legs now bound. _That seems about right_ , he thinks. He did try to escape, after all; they wouldn't take the chance again. Looking around at the people surrounding him, Sungyeol belatedly tunes in to their conversation. They don't seem to have noticed he's awake.

"And this is his third dose," Dr. Moon asks. He has a clipboard in his hands, carefully flipping through the papers on it.

The other man nods. "I gave it to him early this morning. His body responded much better to this dose."

"What about his mind? How is it responding?"

The woman responds this time. "His brain activity is exceptional," she says as she glances at Sungyeol. Their eyes meet, but she doesn't show any reaction. "His mind was already strong; it's even better now. There's a very good chance of success."

Sungyeol tries not to flinch when the doctor's eyes fall on him. They obviously have more plans for him, but he would much rather not find out what they are. "Keep a close eye on him for the next couple of hours," Dr. Moon says. "Once we're sure he's stable enough, we can start the tests." Sungyeol's stomach lurches at the statement. He's about to become a science project just like he'd predicted. Even though he'd envied the other guys and their abilities, he would never have gone this far. He didn't want _this_.

Fear and panic swirl around in Sungyeol's empty stomach. If he'd eaten anything recently it would've come up by now. With no idea what's going on outside the four walls around him, he doesn't know who he should hope will save him. Or if he should bother hoping at all. His breathing speeds up despite his best efforts to stay calm. The heat under his skin starts to increase in tandem with the quickening beat of his heart.

"What's happening?" Dr. Moon's gaze is fixed on the machines next to Sungyeol. They're beeping and flashing, though Sungyeol doubts they hold any answers.

The woman holds a hand over Sungyeol's forehead. "His body is overheating. It must be a reaction to the doses. Until we run the tests, though, I can't be sure."

"We should get him to calm down first," the other man says. He reaches out to grasp Sungyeol's shoulders, but pulls back with a sharp hiss the second his fingers touch Sungyeol's shirt. Holding his hands close to his chest, the man looks down at Sungyeol with a mixture of fear and amazement. "I think we should start the tests sooner. He's already showing signs."

Sungyeol had been wrong to think the worst was over. Even though he's stopped hurting from the inside, there are still too many things (too many people) that can hurt him from the outside. These people are determined to give him superhuman abilities. He's afraid to find out what they'll do to him if it doesn't work. His hands tighten into fists as another wave of panic washes over him. His heart is pounding in his chest and his ears. He's never been this scared in his life; scared of what's going to happen to him, scared of this experiment actually succeeding.

The room feels like it's gotten twice as hot. The air is thick in Sungyeol's throat as he takes a few deep breaths. He's trying to calm down, but his body doesn't seem to be listening to him. His heart keeps pounding in his chest, the sound echoing in his ear. The people watching him aren't helping matters either. They're not concerned about him; they only care about their experiment.

The first spark comes from Sungyeol's chest. The little flecks spring up through his shirt as if there's a fire starting inside of him. Flames follow almost immediately, spreading down Sungyeol's body to his feet and up to his head. His first instinct is to panic. Expecting pain, he twists against his restraints like it'll be that easy to break free. It takes him a few fear-filled moments to realize there isn't any. Despite the very real fire covering his entire body, he doesn't feel a thing. The doctor and the other man take several steps back away from the open flames. The woman, on the other hand, doesn't flinch. She continues watching Sungyeol with sharp, calculating eyes. He can't feel it, but Sungyeol is sure she's inside his head. That could explain why the fire engulfing him starts to recede until it seems to get sucked back into his chest.

For the briefest of moments, Sungueol thinks—no, genuinely believes that things will be okay. Aside from being tied down with some kind of unstable drug running through his veins, he's still alive and that has to count for something. He doesn't get the time to figure out how he's going to get out of this or even wonder what they've done to him, though. More sparks fly from his chest, bigger and faster. He's expecting it the next time the fire ignites, but not the intensity. The flames are stronger; they rise up higher, making the other three people in the room cover their faces from the heat and light.

There's no doubt now that Sungyeol has a superhuman ability. The only problem—well, the biggest problem; he has so many problems at the moment—is that he has no idea how to control it. He doesn't even know if he can. The fire feels like it's getting stronger by the second and there's a building pressure in his chest. He's smart enough to know those aren't good signs. And he can guess what's coming. When his eyes meet the woman's, he can tell she's thinking the same thing. He means to tell them all to leave (not that he should do them any favors after what they've done to him), but no words come out when he opens his mouth. The pressure in his chest feels like it's reached its peak. All of the burning heat that he should be feeling on his skin seems to be concentrated in the center of his chest. It pushes up from somewhere inside, past his ribcage, through his skin and bursts out into the room. His vision becomes white from the blinding light, but he thinks he hears a loud bang. There's no time to wonder what could've caused it (if he was the one to cause it) before he loses consciousness again.

 

\---

 

Sungjong feels it the moment he wakes up. It's the same uneasy, discomfiting feeling he'd had the day he was taken. There's an itch somewhere under his skin that tells him something is coming. He doesn't know what it could be, but it must be connected to the vision he had a couple of days before—at least, he thinks it's been that long. Unlike the first time, though, Sungjong plans on heeding the warning his powers seem to be giving him. Deep down he has a feeling that this will all be over soon.

He starts out standing in front of the door, hand outstretched to touch the smooth metal. It almost feels like it's talking to him; like it's telling him what's happening on the other side. Or, rather, what's going to happen. Although he's still in the present, there's also a sense of the future.

He ends up in the corner of the room farthest away from the door. His instincts tell him it's the safest place to be. With his knees pulled up to his chest, he rests his forehead against his thighs and covers his head with his arms. He can't say for sure if this position will really protect him from whatever commotion is about to ensue, but he'll just have to find out.

His answer comes about five minutes later. A loud bang from outside the room sends the door flying off its hinges. It hits the opposite wall before slamming down onto the floor. Sungjong keeps his head down for a few more moments in case there's more flying debris. When he slowly raises it, he finds the room filled with smoke. There's an alarm going off, probably the fire alarm. He stands up cautiously and walks over to the hole in the wall where the door used to be. The hallway is almost entirely obscured by smoke. He can hear a crackling like something nearby is on fire. Remembering the vision he'd had, he covers his mouth and nose with one hand and ventures out of the room. He turns right, using the wall to guide him through the smoke. It's clear he's moving further away from the fire as the smoke turns from a thick dark gray to a lighter, almost white color.

His vision hadn't been very specific, but he hopes Howon is close by. He doesn't know how much longer he can keep going. His hand isn't all that effective at protecting him. He stops to cough several times as he blindly follows the wall. Although he should be more concerned when he feels a hand gripping his arm, Sungjong only breathes a sigh of relief. He already knows who's standing behind him.

 

\---

 

Howon glances behind himself for what feels like the hundredth time. The emptiness of the corridors makes him uneasy. He feels like there should be people running about or at least one person around to wonder why he's not where he's supposed to be. Fortunately, and oddly, there's no one in sight. He's been wandering around trying to find the others or at least a way out. There's an alarm blaring like there's some sort of emergency, but Howon hasn't seen a single person. He's also starting to notice how hazy the air is becoming as he's walking. His best bet at figuring out what's going on (and hopefully finding someone else in this place) is to find the source of the smokiness in the air.

He's just turning a corner to a new corridor when he spots someone hunched over against a wall. Taking a step back, he waits to see if the person had noticed him as well. After a few seconds, though, all he hears is coughing. He peeks around the corner slowly and realizes the other person couldn't have seen him because he's not even facing Howon. He also recognizes the plaid-clad back. Howon wastes no time rushing over to Sungjong. The other is too busy trying to breathe to notice he's not alone anymore, but he doesn't look very surprised when Howon turns him around.

"Are you okay," Howon asks as he scans the younger man for any signs of injury. At Sungjong's nod, he breathes a sigh of relief and pulls him in for a tight hug. If he wasn't so on edge, he'd probably cry or breakdown in some way. But there's no time for that. With both him and Sungjong free there's hope that Dongwoo and Sungyeol are also safe—or as safe as they can be in this place.

"How did you get out?" Sungjong asks when their hug is over. His voice sounds raspier than usual, probably from all the smoke.

Howon steers them back the way he came in the hope that it'll help. Despite the situation, he can't help the proud smile that breaks out on his face. "I opened the door myself." He beams a little more at the impressed look on Sungjong's face. "I used my powers to unlock it. What about you?"

"It opened itself." At Howon's raised eyebrow, he elaborates, "There was an explosion; it blew my door off. It must've come from the room across from mine. I didn't get a look at what happened because of all the smoke. You don't think Dongwoo or Sungyeol might've been in there, do you?"

The thought had occurred to him, but Howon doesn't want to give it any strength. He wants to believe the other two are okay. Sensing Sungjong's fear, he tries to reassure him (and himself). "They're fine. I'm sure they're fine. If we're fine they're fine too. Everything'll be okay." _I hope_ , he adds in his head.

Sungjong's smile is barely there. "You really suck at this," he says.

Howon chooses to believe he was at least a little successful at comforting him.

 

\---

 

Dongwoo's always had a sunny disposition. He's an optimist who chooses to see the best in every person and every situation. It's gotten him into trouble just as much as its lead to a new friend or happy memory. But right now, he's not that person. There's no way to be positive about his current situation. He's very close to giving up; he almost wants to. Everything would be so much easier if he did. If he just let Hyuna and her father experiment on him and his friends. If he gave up on the sliver of hope he has that things will be okay.

Sitting next to the door of his room, Dongwoo lets his head fall back against the wall. He hasn't seen Hyuna in a few hours. She's tight-lipped about what exactly they're doing to the other guys, but she had assured him that they were all fine. He'd considered searching her memories to see if she was telling the truth, but he's never been a fan of invading people's privacy. Unfortunately, that means trusting her and after everything that's happened, Dongwoo doesn't think he should. As far as he can tell, Hyuna's definition of fine is drastically different from his own.

The only option he has left is to break himself out of the room. Which is easier said than done when his powers aren't at all relevant to lock picking. At least he doesn't think so. He's always assumed he needed physical contact for his powers to work. He's never tried it any other way. But theoretically, it doesn't always have to be like that. He could see (and possibly control) someone's memories without touching them and maybe even uncover them through objects as well.

As the idea grows in his mind, Dongwoo finds himself regaining confidence—in himself and his chances. He quickly stands up and presses his palms against the door. All he feels is metal, but he doesn't let that stop him. If someone's touched the door he thinks he could use that contact to find a memory of that person opening it. The tricky part, though, is figuring out how to open the door from the inside. He's never tried using his powers on things that aren't human. Not even on animals. Partially because it doesn't feel right, but also because he never thought it was possible. He's essentially trying to trick the door into thinking someone is opening it. That's so far beyond anything he's ever done or thought of doing.

His friends' faces flash in his mind. He just wants to see them again, to know that they're all okay. They must be as worried as he is. He hates the thought of anything happening to any of them. The least he can do is try.

Dongwoo closes his eyes and concentrates on the door. He tries to feel more than just the cold metal on his skin. It's hard to tell how long he stands there with his eyes closed, all his energy focused on channeling his powers through his hands, but eventually he feels something. Hyuna. She was the last person to come into the room and he can still feel her presence even though he's sure she's not actually on the other side of the door. In his mind's eye, he can see the memory of her punching in a code on the keypad next to the door, as if he's standing in her place.

The next step is figuring out how to trick the keypad. It's not like it has a memory center that he can manipulate. Maybe... "No," Dongwoo shakes his head. He's never tried it before, but he doesn't think it'll work. It's one thing to put in or remove a memory from someone's head; he's had more than enough practice with that. Even pulling out the memory and making it into temporarily physical object is easy. But bringing a memory to life and making it tangible and essentially real: that must be impossible.

He shouldn't give up so easily. It's his fault he's in this situation in the first place. He can either stay in here and wish he was more useful or he can do something about it. The only way for his powers to grow is for him to test his limits. And this is going to be the biggest test of his life so far.

Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, Dongwoo brings back the memory of Hyuna in front of the door. It helps that they were (are?) close, makes it easier to bring her to life. As she reaches to type in the passcode, Dongwoo's fingers press further into the door like he's punching in the numbers as well. When it doesn't work, he tries again. Four more tries later, after he's started feeling a dull ache all the way up to his shoulders from how hard he's pressing his hands against the door, he finally hears the beep that means the door's been unlocked. His arms drop down to his sides and hang like deadweights. He'd started sweating at some point and now he can feel the dampness around his collar and sticking to the back of his shirt.

Hyuna is standing outside when the door slides open. Dongwoo forgets that she's not real for a moment, freezing at the sight of her. It seems like she's looking right at him until she steps into the room and through him before disappearing altogether. Dongwoo releases the breath he'd been holding. As excited as he wants to be for his accomplishment, he's hardly out of the woods. In his isolation, he hasn't been able to gauge how many people are a part of Dr. Moon's unethical plan. Aside from the father-daughter pair he doesn't know who else he might run into outside this room.

He's met with silence once he steps out into the hallway. Looking down either end, he wonders which direction to take. Which side will bring him to his friends. He gets his answer only moments later as the muffled sound of multiple voices reaches him. They're coming from his left. He moves to the doorway of his room, waiting to see who's coming. He thinks he's ready to fight if he has to.

The sight of Howon and Sungjong, both in one piece, leaves Dongwoo speechless for all of three seconds. "Howon!" He's too happy and relieved to keep his voice down. "Jjongie!" He doesn't waste time leaving his terrible hiding spot.

The two men have barely registered who he is before they're pulled into Dongwoo's arms. Howon steps back first, though he keeps a firm grip on the older man's shoulder. "You're okay." It sounds like both a statement and a question.

Dongwoo finally lets go of Sungjong so he can answer properly. Despite the huge grin on his face he doesn't know if he wants to laugh or cry. "I am," he says.

"How did you get out," Sungjong asks. There seems to be a twinkle in his eyes that says he might be holding back tears. Dongwoo wants to give him another hug, but refrains.

"I used my powers." At the looks of confusion on his friends' faces, Dongwoo jokes, "It was a surprise to me, too, but I really did use my powers. I'll show you." He turns back to the now-closed door of his room (rather than the prison cell it is, he's choosing to only think of things in a positive or at the very least neutral light). Setting a hand on the wall to ground himself, he conjures up the memory once again. It's much easier this time around; he doesn't have to concentrate nearly as hard. Sungjong and Howon both gasp as Hyuna materializes in front of the door. She disappears just as quickly when Dongwoo takes his hand off the wall, letting go of the memory. The grin is back on his face as he faces the other two again. "See?"

Sungjong seems to share his enthusiasm. He pulls Dongwoo back into another hug, even rocking the two of them from side-to-side in his excitement. "That was so cool," he gushes, "I didn't even know you could do that."

"Me neither."

"Oh, yeah, Howon was just telling me how he used his powers to get out, too." With his arm still around Dongwoo's shoulder, Sungjong steers him closer to the other man. "You did something kind of like that, right," he asks Howon.

With the attention now on him, Howon looks flustered. "Well, it wasn't anything cool like that," he replies, gesturing at Dongwoo's room. "I just used my powers to override the lock. It's not that big a deal."

"Of course it is," Dongwoo rushes to reassure him. Despite the progress he's made, Howon's still not as confident in his powers as he should be. He always wants to do better, to be better. "You couldn't even see what you were doing. That had to be hard."

"And you've never tried anything like that before," Sungjong chimes in. Howon shrugs, but he also seems happier because of their comments.

Dongwoo turns to the younger man next to him as a thought occurs to him. "What about you, Sungjong? How did you get out?"

It's Sungjong's turn to shrug. "I guess I sort of used my powers too," he says slowly. "There was an explosion from the room across from mine. I could sense it coming, so I stayed out of the way until it happened."

"An explosion?" Dongwoo hadn't heard or even felt anything.

"I don’t know what happened," Sungjong admits. "There was too much smoke. I just tried to get as far away as I could. And then Howon found me."

"And then we found you," Howon finishes.

"What about the others?" If there's a fire, then they shouldn't be standing around. They should be trying to get everyone out.

Sungjong looks to Howon to give the answer, who in turn looks hesitant to speak up. "Sunggyu, Woohyun, and Myungsoo are fine. The night we were taken Sunggyu contacted me." Howon points to his head to indicate the contact was telepathic. "He was trying to reach you, but I think something was blocking him. Only the three of us and Sungyeol are here."

Dongwoo's afraid to ask where Sungyeol is. So far, they've managed to find each other, but the explosion Sungjong had mentioned gives him an uneasy feeling. "We should find a way out first," he suggests.

"What about Sungyeol?" The panic is written clearly on Howon's face. Dongwoo wants to be reassuring, but he's still lacking in his optimism.

"We'll look for him as we go. Maybe you can try reaching out to Sunggyu to see if he can sense Sungyeol anywhere." Though he doesn’t look entirely convinced, Howon nods in agreement. His eyes fall shut, presumably so he can contact Sunggyu. In the silence that follows Dongwoo hears the distant sound of an alarm. He'd been too preoccupied to notice it before. He's mostly concerned for his friends and himself, but there's also a small part of him that hopes nothing bad has happened to Hyuna. Whatever their relationship is now, he can't bring himself to cut her out of his life entirely. He still cares about her.

 

\---

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sunggyu smiles slightly at the deer-in-headlights expression on Woohyun's face. They're cuddling on Woohyun's couch because they both have the day off and don't feel like being productive. (Plus, Woohyun has gotten it into his head that Sunggyu is his own life-size teddy bear and so he never misses an opportunity to cling to Sunggyu.)

Woohyun looks back at the TV like they both don't know he'd stopped paying attention to the weekend drama currently playing. "I wasn't looking at you like anything," he denies the obvious.

Sunggyu snorts and turns around on the couch to face the younger man. "Yeah, you were. Why?" He thinks he knows the reason, but he wants to hear Woohyun say it.

It takes a couple of false starts before Woohyun finally gets any words out. "I was thinking we should move in together," he admits quietly. He manages to maintain eye contact with Sunggyu the whole time, though a light blush starts to spread across his cheeks.

"What?" That wasn't what Sunggyu had been expecting.

"It's probably not the best time right now. And I know you're only here because...you know." Sunggyu hadn't been able to bring himself to stay at his own place without Dongwoo. It was too empty, and he didn't think he could focus on finding their friends while he was there. Woohyun had been happy to let him stay with him. "But maybe later, when we find them and everything's better, maybe we can live together. Dongwoo can live with us, too, if he wants. Unless you think it's too fast," Woohyun adds when Sunggyu doesn't immediately respond. He looks like he's regretting saying anything at all.

Sunggyu rests a reassuring hand on Woohyun’s neck and leans in to place a kiss on his lips. "It’s not," he says when he pulls back. "Too fast, I mean. I want—"

_Sunggyu._

"Howon?" The unexpected voice in his head makes him sit up. Woohyun follows suit, looking a lot lost and a little peeved at hearing someone else's name at the end of that sentence. "Did something happen," Sunggyu asks out loud as well as in his head. He'd talked to the younger man the day before. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary nor had he gotten any closer to figuring out where the others were being held. It was discouraging for Sunggyu after nearly a whole week had passed. If he doesn't find them soon, he doesn't think he ever will.

_A lot happened_ , is Howon’s answer. He sounds especially grave, leaving Sunggyu to wonder what could've happened.

"What's going on," Woohyun whispers. He's leaning close to Sunggyu like he'll be able to hear Howon that way. Sunggyu holds up a finger to tell him to wait as Howon relates the day's events to him.

_I'm with Sungjong and Dongwoo right now. We were all able to get out of our rooms and managed to find each other. The thing is..._ Howon pauses briefly and Sunggyu's stomach fills with dread. _There's a fire. I think we're far enough away from it, but we haven't found Sungyeol yet. We were hoping you might be able to sense if he's still here._

Sunggyu fills Woohyun in quickly as he tries to process it all himself. He wants to reach out to Dongwoo, to check that he really is okay, but he refrains. That can wait. They'll see each other again soon. _I'll see what I can do_ , he tells Howon, _just worry about finding a way out. We're coming._ He doesn't wait for Howon's response before he's jumping to his feet in search of his shoes. The conversation he and Woohyun were having is shelved for another time.

"Um, do you mind telling me what the hell's happening right now?" Woohyun's still on the couch, just as confused as he'd been at the start.

"We have to go," Sunggyu says over his shoulder from the foyer where he's pulling on his shoes. "Call Myungsoo. Tell him to get ready."

That spurs Woohyun into action. He grabs his phone and starts to head over to Sunggyu before deciding a change of pants would be a smart move. "Do you know where they are," he asks as they're leaving the apartment.

"Not yet." Although he's trying to find Sungyeol, it's hard when his attention is split between that and putting one foot in front of the other. It gets easier once they're in Woohyun's car. As they head to pick up Myungsoo, Sunggyu retreats into his mind. He can feel Woohyun's consciousness, a strong constant right next to him, as well as Myungsoo's growing closer by the minute. When he pushes further, he feels Howon distantly along with Dongwoo and Sungjong. Sungyeol is nowhere to be found.

Myungsoo all but jumps into the car as Woohyun pulls up outside his apartment. "You found them?" He sounds out of breath even though he'd been standing at the curb waiting.

"Something like that," Woohyun says with a glance at Sunggyu.

Deciding to take a break from using his powers, Sunggyu turns to face Myungsoo in the backseat. "I’m trying to find Sungyeol. The other guys are fine—mostly." He details his conversation with Howon more thoroughly for both Woohyun and Myungsoo. "I think I know where they are now. Whatever was blocking me before is gone." Sunggyu had only been able to sense Howon. And he couldn't even tell where he was, he just knew it was Howon. Now Sunggyu can easily distinguish between Howon, Dongwoo, and Sungjong. It's like there's a compass in his head telling him exactly where they are. He points toward the window on Woohyun's side. "We have to go that way," he says definitively. He's more sure of it than he's been of anything.

"That way it is." Woohyun checks the side mirror before pulling the car back onto the road. The ride goes by quickly, with Sunggyu giving directions every few turns, mostly because Woohyun keeps his foot steadily on the gas. The sun is high in the sky by the time they reach the block of warehouses near the river on the other side of the city.

Myungsoo, who’d been quiet the whole ride, speaks up first. "This isn't gonna be, like, a standoff or anything, right? We won't have to fight anybody? Because I've never actually thrown a punch in my life."

Sunggyu smiles as he looks at the backseat through the rearview mirror. "Don't worry," he promises, "there aren't any henchmen to get through. They should be waiting for us by the time we get there, actually." He doesn't mention the fact that he still can't sense Sungyeol anywhere. If he doesn't say it out loud then maybe it won't be true.

The car comes to a stop at the end of the block. They're a good distance away from the last warehouse. It's a wide three-story building that appears to be the least dilapidated one. Sunggyu gets out of the car first. He can feel the others close-by. It grows stronger until he finally sees three silhouettes stepping through the open doorway. There's a mixture of emotions swirling around in his gut when his eyes land on Dongwoo. The biggest one is relief. His friend looks relatively unharmed and that's all Sunggyu could've hoped for.

He and Dongwoo end up meeting halfway as they both run to each other. The hug they share is fiercely tight, like they're afraid the other might disappear if they let go. Eventually, Sunggyu does let go. He wants to cry (Dongwoo already is), but he doesn't let himself. There's still one thing left to do. "Are you guys okay," he asks just to be sure.

Dongwoo and Sungjong both nod. Howon either doesn't hear him or chooses to ignore the question. "What about Sungyeol?" He asks instead.

Sunggyu's eyes drop down to the ground. There's no way to avoid it. "I... I couldn't find him." He might not have known Sungyeol very well or been close to him, but the words hurt just the same. "I think he—" He's cut off by a loud explosion from inside the warehouse. They all back away although there's no flying debris.

And then he feels it. Him. Sungyeol. Just a moment ago Sunggyu thought the worst had happened, that Sungyeol was gone. Staring at the doorway, he takes a few steps closer to the building. Sure enough, another figure emerges. Howon rushes forward first, followed by Woohyun.

Sungyeol stumbles out of the warehouse holding someone in his arms. He’s barefoot and wearing a lab coat, but the strangest thing about him is the bright flame surrounding him. It outlines his body like an aura. He doesn’t even seem to be bothered by it. Howon and Woohyun hesitate at the sight of it. Dongwoo, on the other hand, keeps going. He takes the woman from Sungyeol without any fear of the fire clinging to him. Sunggyu belatedly realizes it’s because he knows her. She must be the woman Howon had mentioned. His eyes go back to Sungyeol who now looks unsteady. Howon and Woohyun catch him when his legs give out. The flames around Sungyeol shrink slowly before flickering out completely.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is this so long? 5k+ words. Why? At the start of the year I got a huge burst of inspiration to finish this story. I didn't expect to write so much, but I guess I have the random mix of music I like to listen to to thank for that. Technically this is the last chapter, but I'm planning on writing an epilogue that'll be more of an ending. I totally forget what I wanted to say as I was writing this, so I'll just say enjoy~

"You're in a hospital," Dongwoo tells Hyuna when he notices her eyes are open. He's been at her bedside for almost five hours. The doctor had informed him that she would be fine despite the amount of smoke she'd inhaled. He's relieved for the most part. Even after everything she'd done to him and his friends, he’s still worried about her. He must be crazy. Or in love—that was usually to blame for poor decisions.

_How... What happened?_

Her voice in his head catches Dongwoo by surprise. He'd forgotten she could do that. She must've realized she wouldn't be able to talk just yet; especially with the oxygen mask still on. "We're not really sure. Sungyeol carried you out before the whole place went up."

_Sungyeol?_ Her eyes widen slightly. _He's alive?_

Dongwoo's afraid to ask what she could mean by that. He doesn't want to believe that she would willingly experiment on a person knowing they could die. "He is," he says instead.

Hyuna weakly lifts herself up to her elbows. From the concern in her eyes Dongwoo can already guess her next question. _And my father? Where is he?_

Looking down at his lap, Dongwoo hesitates before answering. It's not his fault, but still feels guilty. He can only manage to shake his head, the words stuck on his tongue. He looks up in time to see the pain in Hyuna's eyes. She falls back on the bed and stares up at the ceiling. She takes a few shaky breaths, fogging up the oxygen mask. "I'm sorry," Dongwoo whispers. He feels bad for both Hyuna and Dr. Moon. No matter what their intentions had been, the outcome is still unfortunate.

After a few minutes of quietly crying, Hyuna composes herself. As she's wiping the tears from her face, she looks at her wrists. _No handcuffs?_

"Why would... Oh..." Telling the truth had come up among him and his friends after they'd called the police. Dongwoo had argued against it and, surprisingly, Sungjong and Woohyun had agreed with him. Sunggyu and Howon were for it, but as Myungsoo hadn't wanted to choose sides, they were outvoted. "We thought about it, but, you know, that would've made things more complicated. Plus, it's not like they would've believed us. And I don't think using our powers would've been smart."

They're interrupted by a knock on the door. Sunggyu's head peeks into the room, the slightest of grimaces passing over his face when he sees that Hyuna's awake. He doesn't come in any further like he quite literally can't stand to be in the same room as her. "Woohyun and I are about to head down to the cafeteria. I just wanted to check if you're hungry."

Now that Dongwoo thinks about it, he doesn't remember the last time he ate. So much has happened that he hasn't even noticed. "You guys can go ahead," he tells Sunggyu with a reassuring smile. "I'll come down in a little bit."

Sunggyu frowns at that, but doesn't argue. "Yeah, sure." He leaves without saying anything else and Dongwoo suspects it's more so to avoid making any harsh comments on the other mind-reader.

_He doesn't like me very much, does he?_

Dongwoo can't help smiling at that. "No, not so much," he replies. It's really too bad things turned out the way they did. He thinks Sunggyu would've liked Hyuna if they'd been properly introduced.

_But you still do._

It's a statement. A true one, at that. Dongwoo doesn't bother to refute it. "I know I shouldn't." She's not his first love, but the feelings are the same.

_No, I get it. I still like you, too._ The warmth in her eyes assures Dongwoo that she means it. _But I think it's best for the both of us if this is the last time we see each other._

"I know." Dongwoo can't say he's surprised the first relationship he's had in years is ending so quickly (and terribly). That's just his luck. His bad luck. "At least we'll have a few days to say goodbye." At Hyuna's confused look, he reaches out to hold her hand. "I might've said I was your guardian when you were being checked in," he explains with an embarrassed blush. Hyuna's smile is evident despite the mask over her mouth. Dongwoo almost sighs in relief. He'd been afraid she would push him away now that they're not together.

_I guess this'll be a long goodbye._

Dongwoo lifts Hyuna's hand and leans down to press a kiss to the back of it. "I should make the most of it, then."

 

Sungyeol should be happy to be alive; he should be grateful. And there is a small part of him that wants to be. But a much bigger part just feels wrong. He feels like a freak. Which is ironic considering his recent friendships, but they were born that way. He's just a science experiment.

At the sound of the door opening, he turns over in the hospital bed and closes his eyes. He doesn't have the energy to entertain whoever it is. He just wants to be alone.

"I know you're not sleeping." Woohyun's voice is soft and gentle and it only makes Sungyeol feel worse. The scratching of the chair legs on the floor tells Sungyeol the other's taking a seat next to him. "I'm not gonna make you talk to me. You went through a lot and you're probably still dealing with things. Just know I'm here for you whenever you're ready. And I'm really happy you're okay." He rests a hand on Sungyeol's shoulder and squeezes slightly.

Sungyeol wants to turn over and tell Woohyun he's not okay. That he doesn't know if he'll ever be okay. His whole life has changed. But he doesn't move at all. He stays committed to feigning sleep. Eventually he really does fall asleep. When he wakes up Woohyun is gone and Myungsoo is in his place. The younger man looks half-asleep in his seat. Reaching out, Sungyeol lightly plucks Myungsoo's forehead. "You know, that's what beds are for," he says when the other focuses on him.

Myungsoo smiles sleepily. "Then you should give me your bed since you don't seem to need it anymore."

Sungyeol expects him to ask too many questions or get sappy, but instead Myungsoo continues joking with him. They go back and forth about who deserves the bed more and Sungyeol manages to laugh despite feeling like the world was ending a few hours before. It's exactly what he needs right now. He doesn't think about the last few days or what's happened to him, what he can do. He'll have to deal with it eventually, but it doesn't have to be today.

"Where's Howon," Sungyeol asks during a lull in their conversation. He might've been unconscious for a really long time, but he can remember everyone else visiting him except Howon.

Myungsoo smiles like he knows something, although Sungyeol can't say what that is. "He's probably right outside. Like he's been since you got here. If he stays there any longer, I think he'll have to apply for a change of address."

"He didn't come in?" Myungsoo shakes his head, weird smile still in place. "Why not?" On the one hand, Sungyeol would rather Howon not see him like this. After Dr. Moon's experiment and the fire and passing out, he must look like a total wreck. On the other hand, though, he's a little offended. He'd thought there was something between the two of them even though they've never addressed it. He couldn't have been the only one who was worried. Surely Howon had wanted to know that Sungyeol was okay.

"You'll have to ask him," Myungsoo shrugs. He leans forward to rest his elbows on the edge of the bed. "Or do you want me to ask him for you?"

Sungyeol scoffs with fake incredulity. Like he's not _that_ interested in what's going on in Howon's head. "Yeah, and while you're at it, why don't I give you a note for him that says, 'do you like me, check yes, no, or maybe'?" His voice is dripping with sarcasm. He doesn't need a wingman. That's way too embarrassing. He should make his own moves.

Myungsoo sees right through him, but chooses to change the subject. "Are you hungry? I haven't eaten anything all day." He rubs his stomach as if to prove his point.

"I guess. Maybe something small."

The creepy knowing smile is back on Myungsoo's face as he leans even further over the bed. "Do you want me to ask Howon to get it for you?"

Sometimes having friends really sucks.

 

Sunggyu wakes up to tears on his pillow. It's still dark outside, the moon high and bright in the sky. Woohyun's arm is draped over his middle. He's comfortable by all means, yet his heart feels like it's being squeezed tighter and tighter. He spends a minute taking deep breaths and trying to figure out where this sudden sadness is coming from. When he focuses on the emotions, he realizes they aren't his own. It's just like back in the record store when he'd felt that Dongwoo was in trouble.

Sunggyu slips out of Woohyun's hold and eases off the bed so as not to wake the other man. He pulls on a shirt (either his or Woohyun's, it's too dark to tell) before leaving the room. Out in the hallway, he sees that the light in the living room is still on. Dongwoo's still awake. And crying, Sunggyu finds out when he gets to the other room. He stands frozen in his spot, caught off guard by his best friend looking so sad and broken.

Dongwoo must sense his presence. He makes a surprised sound when he looks up and starts quickly wiping at his face. "What are you still doing up," he asks too casually to sound natural. His voice is choked and he keeps sniffling.

Sunggyu doesn't respond as he steps into the room. He sits next to Dongwoo on the couch and pulls him into a hug. He means to hold the other until he gets everything out, but his eyes land on a large duffle bag sitting open and half-packed on the coffee table. His stomach drops along with his heart. He can't lose Dongwoo again. "Where are you going?"

Dongwoo doesn't look at him when he pulls away from the hug. He lets out a few more sniffles before he finally answers. "You guys don't need me here."

"Who told you that?"

"No one has to say it," Dongwoo argues. He's small already, but he looks even smaller now. "It's true. I—"

"It's not!" Sunggyu forgets to keep his voice down. He can't really be bothered at the moment, though. Maybe if he shouts it loud enough Dongwoo will believe it. "We do need you. All of us. Especially me."

Dongwoo wipes at a stray tear. "All I do is hurt people and cause trouble. I shouldn't have come back. Everyone's better off without me."

"Dongwoo, listen to me." Despite the firmness in his tone, Sunggyu is gentle as he takes ahold of both of his friend's hands. "None of that is true. No one blames you for what happened."

"What about Sungyeol?"

"He doesn't blame you."

"How do you know that?"

Sunggyu doesn't. He hasn't seen or spoken to Sungyeol since the hospital. His absence actually bolsters Dongwoo's claim. But Sunggyu won't ever admit that. "It's not your fault," he says instead. He'll say it a hundred times if it means Dongwoo will start to believe it. "You couldn't have known what she was planning. What she was going to do to Sungyeol."

Dongwoo's voice is small, like he already knows Sunggyu won't agree with him. "It wasn't Hyuna's plan. Her father did the experiments."

"That doesn't make it any better. She went along with it. She tricked you and used you and almost _killed_ one of our friends." Sunggyu will never understand why Dongwoo still tries to defend her. Why he had stayed with her in the hospital. Or why he didn't want to report her. Even if it's love, there should be a limit.

"I know," Dongwoo sighs, " _I know._ I just meant she's...not all bad."

"Dongwoo—"

"Just—I don't—can we not talk about her anymore?"

Sunggyu doesn't need to see the pleading look in Dongwoo's eyes to comply. He starts to nod, but remembers the bag on the table and the point of their argument. "Only if you promise you're not going anywhere. With her or just in general." Dongwoo only sighs, not giving an answer either way. " _Dongwoo_ ," Sunggyu calls him warningly.

Dongwoo's face becomes even more serious. "I could erase your memories right now if I wanted to."

Sunggyu can't believe Dongwoo still wants to run. After everything they've been through—now and all those years ago. "You won't," he says with full confidence. "Because I'm your best friend. And you're not a coward."

"I did it before," Dongwoo argues. The fact that he's still only talking about doing it shows that he won't really go through with it. He's just looking for a good reason to stay. Sunggyu had thought their friendship was it, but it seems to be more complicated than that.

Squeezing Dongwoo's hands tighter, he waits until the other meets his eyes before speaking. "You're not going anywhere," he says firmly. "You don't get to cut and run on me again because you think it's for my own good. I can take care of myself and I'll take care of you, too, if I have to. I've known you all of my life and I love you, so don't you dare think I would ever be better off without you."

Dongwoo's already weakened resolve crumbles in a matter of seconds. Tears pool at the corners of his eyes. Sunggyu reaches up to wipe them as they fall, fighting back his own tears at the same time. When Dongwoo wraps his arms around him for another hug, it's much tighter and longer than before. Sunggyu hugs him back just as fiercely.

They stay like that for a long while. The apartment is silent and still, the tension no longer hanging heavily over the room. And then Sunggyu remembers something.

"You know," he starts, his chin resting on Dongwoo's shoulder, "I don't think erasing my mind would've done anything."

"Why not?"

"I think I would be able to find you even if I don't know who you are." He pulls back from their embrace to pat his chest. "I have my own Dongwoo-tracking device." At the confused look on Dongwoo's face, he laughs. That's not exactly how it works, but Sunggyu would like to think it might be like that one day. "Sometimes I know when something's wrong with you. I can feel what you're feeling, just strong emotions, though. And only with you. I've never felt anything like it with anyone else—not even Woohyun."

"How? Why?" Dongwoo still doesn't seem to understand it. (And if Sunggyu's being honest, he doesn't quite understand it either.)

Shrugging as he leans back into the couch, Sunggyu finally feels relaxed since the first time he woke up. "I don't know. It might have something to do with my powers. Woohyun says it's because we're soulmates."

Dongwoo laughs, resting his head on Sunggyu's shoulder. "I guess that makes sense. We do know each other the best. But I never thought you believed in that kind of stuff."

"I don't," Sunggyu says. He's not much of a believer in fate or anything like that. For him, things just are what they are; he doesn't usually see a deeper meaning. "But it kinda makes sense to me, too. And Woohyun says he doesn’t mind sharing me with you."

 

Sunggyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, and Sungjong are already at the record store when Howon shows up. Despite their jobs and lives, they still make time to meet up and the store seems to be the place for it. But it's fitting. After all, it is where it all started; where they all met. And now that they share a bond (or more accurately, they share a secret) they have to stick together.

Howon hardly notices that Myungsoo isn't there yet. He's only scanning the store for one person. "Hey, when was the last time any of you guys talked to Sungyeol," he asks after a few minutes of overthinking the best way to phrase it. He'd been too nervous to visit Sungyeol while he was in the hospital and now he's regretting just sitting outside his room. As it is, he hasn't seen Sungyeol since the warehouse.

The others pause whatever they're doing to think it over. Sunggyu shrugs, not looking as concerned as he could. "Not since the hospital."

From his perch on the counter, Dongwoo shakes his head. "Me too," he agrees. "I figured he just needed some space, but he hasn't responded to any of my calls or texts."

"And he didn't even tell us when he was discharged," Sungjong adds. He's sitting on the stairs leading up to the storage room. They'd only found out that Sungyeol had left the hospital after Woohyun had gone to see him and a nurse informed him.

Howon looks at Woohyun, who'd immediately deflated at the mention of Sungyeol. "You haven't heard anything from him?" He can already guess the answer, but he still wants to make sure. They're supposed to be best friends; if Woohyun doesn't know where he is, then who else would?

Woohyun shakes his head, his lower lip jutting out in a pout. There's a crease between his eyebrows as he stares down at the counter. "He won't talk to me," he sighs dejectedly. If he could sound any sadder he probably would. Both Dongwoo and Sunggyu reach out to pat him on each shoulder.

The bell above the door jingles as it opens. All heads turn to look at Myungsoo who walks into the store with a waffle in one hand and his phone in the other. He freezes at the sudden attention, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "What about him," Sungjong suggests.

"What about me?"

"Have you talked to Sungyeol recently?" Howon cuts right to the chase. He's already decided to find Sungyeol himself no matter what. He has a lot he wants to say to the other, but more importantly, he just needs to see that he's okay.

Myungsoo shrugs, slipping his phone into his back pocket with a quickness that doesn't go unnoticed by Howon. "Not for a while," he says.

"He's lying," Sunggyu chimes in. He must've read Myungsoo's mind. Or maybe he heard his thoughts unintentionally.

Howon steps closer to his friend. He doesn't mean to be intimidating, but that must be how he looks because Myungsoo backs up immediately. He tries to keep his voice calm. "When exactly was the last time you talked to him?"

There's a long moment of silence as Myungsoo looks at everyone in the room. Like he's debating the right answer. His voice is small when he finally speaks. "T-today. I talked to him today."

"An hour ago," Sunggyu clarifies for him. The information elicits surprised noises from almost everyone else. While Woohyun, Dongwoo, and Sungjong rush to join Howon in crowding around Myungsoo, Sunggyu takes his time. They form a half-circle around him, effectively caging him in.

Myungsoo now has his back against the door, his head bowed with guilt. "Well, I mean," he starts slowly, "if we're being technical, I talked to him an hour ago, but I was also texting with him right before I came in."

"Why the does that matter?" Howon can't help blurting out. It doesn't matter to him how they were communicating; just the fact that they were at all.

"He talks to you," Woohyun asks softly. The betrayal is clear on his face, but Howon doubts it's meant for Myungsoo.

"Since you're forcing it out of me, I thought I should give you the whole truth," Myungsoo replies to Howon. He seems to be regaining some of the confidence he'd lost after being cornered. He turns to Woohyun next. "And I don't really care for your tone, but, yes, he does talk to me. I would say it's not personal, but it is." His voice softens a bit as he continues. "He didn't want to deal with you—all of you, actually, tip-toeing around him and treating him like he's made of glass. Or trying to get him to talk when he's not ready. Apparently, since I don't do any of that he doesn't mind talking to me."

Woohyun doesn't look any happier after hearing Myungsoo's explanation. "Have you seen him? How does he look?"

Shaking his head, Myungsoo takes a bite of his forgotten waffle. "Not since he got out of the hospital. He's been holed up in his apartment and he won’t let anyone in. He thinks it's safer."

That's all Howon needs to hear before he's pushing past Myungsoo and rushing out of the store. The others can deal with best friend. His only concern is Sungyeol.

 

It's not until he's standing in front of Sungyeol's door that Howon starts to second guess himself. Even after sprinting out of the store in search of Sungyeol—and then having to turn back around and get the other's address from Myungsoo—he'd been sure he was doing the right thing. Sungyeol has locked himself away from his friends, from the world, out of fear. Howon just wants to help him overcome whatever he's afraid of; he wants to be by his side. But who's to say that's what Sungyeol wants?

Howon doesn't let himself overthink things any further as he raps on the door. He's come all this way already and Myungsoo's probably told Sungyeol to expect him. He should follow through. "Sungyeol," he calls when there's no immediate response. "It's me. Howon. Are you in there?" He knocks a couple more times, harder.

The door opens slowly. The chain that's still in place only lets it open a few inches, giving Howon a view of half of Sungyeol's face. He looks thinner and paler, but still in one piece. That's more than enough for a wave of relief to wash over Howon. He takes a step closer instinctively. "What are you doing here," Sungyeol asks. He sounds tired, like the conversation is exhausting even though it's just started.

"I wanted...to see you."

Sungyeol's eye widens in surprise before he adopts a more apathetic expression. "W-well, you've seen me." The door slams shut without any warning.

Howon had been afraid he'd make a fool of himself again, but this is worse. He hadn't prepared himself for such a cold response. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. Sungyeol's avoided them for this long for a reason. He's trying to protect himself from the world, or the world from him. Howon showing up suddenly isn't going to change his mind. (Even if he'd secretly hoped it would.) "Sungyeol," he calls out again. He pounds on the door to make sure he has the other's attention. "Listen, I know I can't know what it was like for you, but I was there, too. It was hard. Probably the worst week of my life. And I was so scared." He turns around to lean back against the door and slides down to sit on the floor. He doesn't know if Sungyeol is listening to him or if he's even on the other side. "I hated the thought of you going through what I was going through, but there was nothing I could do. I was afraid if I used my powers they would hurt you, so I went along with everything until I could think of a way to get us both out. The only thing that kept me going—that kept me from losing myself to fear was you."

That's as close to a confession of his feelings as Howon can manage. He'd rather say the actual words when he's face-to-face with Sungyeol. It's feels more sincere that way.

There's no immediate reaction from Sungyeol. The door stays closed and there's not even so much as a creak of a floorboard to let Howon know he's not just talking to himself. It's disheartening, but he resolves to stay as long as it takes for Sungyeol to let him in.

That turns out to be about twenty minutes. The door opens suddenly, startling Howon from his thoughts and sending him falling backwards. Fortunately for him, the chain is still in place, so he doesn't end up on the floor. Half of Sungyeol's face looks down at him, amusement poorly hidden behind what's supposed to be anger. His lips curl up too much at the ends for it to be believable. "I'm still mad at you," he informs Howon.

"Um, for what?" Having not seen him in weeks, Howon can't recall having done anything wrong.

Sungyeol crosses his arms, finally starting to look genuinely angry. "You never visited me in the hospital. You just sat outside my room like a coward."

Howon stands up slowly. He has a reason for why he never went into Sungyeol's room, but it's probably not very good. That said, he admits he was a coward for not visiting Sungyeol. "I can explain." He doesn't expect that to be enough for Sungyeol. Especially since the door shuts in his face for a second time. But then he hears the chain sliding on the other side and when the door opens, he finally gets to be face-to-face with Sungyeol. A smile instantly spreads across Howon's face.

Wordlessly, Sungyeol steps behind the door as he pulls it open further. Howon accepts the invitation without hesitation. He looks around the apartment curiously, taking in the space that Sungyeol has found more inviting than the outside world. He notices charred spots around the living room where they're standing. On the floor, on the coffee table, on the couch, even on the ceiling. The memory of the Sungyeol walking out of the warehouse with flames surrounding him flashes in Howon's mind. He'd forgotten what the point of them being taken was. Hyuna and her father were trying to give people superhuman abilities. And somehow, they'd succeeded.

"You wanted to explain yourself," Sungyeol says before Howon can ask any questions. He walks over to the couch and takes a seat at one end. "So, start explaining."

Clearing his throat, Howon approaches the couch slowly. "Right..." He takes a seat at the other end, avoiding a burned hole in the black leather. "You want to know why I didn't visit you." Sungyeol doesn't respond, just continues to watch Howon with an impassive expression. "Um, I didn't go to see you because—well, I didn't—" Howon pauses to find the right words. Now is his chance to say what he should've said the night they were taken—actually, no, he should've said it a long time before that. "I like you," he says confidently. He even manages to look Sungyeol in the eye as he says it.

"You didn't see me because you like me?"

Howon lets out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, it's...yeah. I've liked you for a while now. At first Woohyun was the excuse for me not to say anything. I didn't think I could compete with your history. And then I wasn't sure if you liked me back, so I was afraid of being rejected. But after holding it in for so long I thought if I saw you it would all just come pouring out and you were already dealing with so much. I didn't want to add to it." Howon keeps his eyes on Sungyeol, trying to gauge his reaction. The other is still unreadable.

"You know..." Sungyeol smiles softly at Howon. That must be a good sign. "You really suck at hiding your feelings. You couldn’t be any more obvious. Everyone knows you like me."

A smile to match Sungyeol's breaks out on the older man's face. He turns on the couch to face Sungyeol. "It's good to see you're still humble," he jokes. Sungyeol nods happily in agreement. "So I just bared my heart, but it's kinda hard to tell if I was rejected. Could you..." He gestures at Sungyeol as if to say it's his turn.

Sungyeol doesn't look nervous to be put on the spot. He's probably had a lot of time to think about it. "I think you're, _you know_ , too."

It takes a moment for Howon to connect the statement to the last conversation they'd had. He finally looks away from Sungyeol as he fights the blush spreading across his cheeks. The memory of calling Sungyeol beautiful to his face and now hearing Sungyeol say he thinks Howon is beautiful too is enough to make him want to hide from embarrassment. "I was hoping you forgot about that," he says.

"Not a chance. And now I can't let you forget it either." Sungyeol's laugh sounds one hundred percent evil to Howon's ears. But even when it's directed at him, the other's mischievousness is still attractive. Or maybe Howon is just happy to see Sungyeol acting more like himself. The younger man is practically humming with excitement. It's a complete change from how serious he'd been when Howon first came. "So, you wanna see it?"

The question stuns Howon for a minute. He tells himself not to assume the obvious. "What... See what exactly?"

Sungyeol fixes him with an unimpressed stare. "My pet rock collection," he replies sarcastically. "I mean my powers, obviously. Myungsoo told you about it, right?"

Howon shakes his head. "I didn't really give him any time to." In his impatience, he'd stopped listening after hearing how Sungyeol was. It didn't occur to him at the time to ask what else had changed with Sungyeol.

"It's weird that I find that flattering, but thank you." Sungyeol scoots closer to Howon. "I've been practicing this for a few days," he informs the other, although Howon can't tell if he's being warned or not. Taking a deep breath, Sungyeol holds up one of his hands in front of himself. After a moment he snaps his fingers and a small flame ignites above his thumb. He easily blows it out like a candle before looking at Howon. "This is kind of a three-part trick. That was part one. Part two..." He raises the same hand palm side up in a fist. When he uncurls his fingers, a slightly bigger flame sits in the center of his hand. "And now part three," he says as he clenches his fist again, snuffing out the fire. Whatever his third trick is seems to require more focus. He stares at his closed fist for almost a minute, his brows furrowed in concentration. The next time he opens his hand, his fingers fan out as they're engulfed in fire.

Howon shoots out of his seat with a yelp. His panicked brain tells him to find something to put out the fire, but he can't seem to find anything as he looks around.

"Whoa, hey, relax." Sungyeol reaches out to him with his flame-covered hand before realizing what a bad idea that is. "It's fine," he assures Howon, twisting his hand to show that he really isn't burning. "It doesn't even hurt. See?" As Sungyeol wiggles his fingers, the fire around them fizzles out to nothing.

Although he'd already known what to expect, watching Sungyeol catch on fire in front of his eyes isn't something Howon had been prepared for. "Sorry," he mumbles as he sinks back down on the couch. Not for the first (or last) time, he feels like a complete idiot. "A little warning would've been nice."

Sungyeol scoots a little closer to Howon. It's seems like he considers patting Howon's shoulder comfortingly, but decides against it. "Well, I was thinking this kind of trick really only works if you don't know I'm gonna burst into flames. But other than that, it was good?" He looks hopefully at the older man, his bouncing leg giving away his nervousness.

"Of course," Howon insists. His near-heart attack aside, he's impressed. It had taken more than a couple weeks to gain control of his powers. And Sungyeol had even managed to do it without any help. (Howon doubts Myungsoo's suddenly become an expert.) "It was amazing. _You're_ amazing." Somehow the compliment brings out Sungyeol's shy side. He becomes very interested in the hole in his couch. Howon shortens the distance between them even more so that their thighs are almost touching. "I mean it," he continues, "You're smart, funny, sweet, and absolutely beautiful—"

"Don't forget tall," Sungyeol interjects, meeting Howon's eyes with a smile.

"Yeah, tall. You're also tall."

Sungyeol inches closer to Howon. He folds his hands in his lap before wedging them between his thighs, until he settles for resting them on his knees. "I think you're all those things, too. Well, not so much the 'tall' part," he amends after a moment's thought. His eyes drop down to Howon's lips briefly. "But I'm sure you can make up for that."

That's as clear a signal as Howon needs. He takes his time leaning in; there's no need to rush it. Holding onto the back of the couch for support, he stops halfway and waits for Sungyeol to close the distance. It doesn't take long for the other to understand. His hand is warm when he places it on the back of Howon's neck. His lips are even warmer when they touch Howon's. It's surprisingly pleasant, though. Especially with how soft Sungyeol's lips are. Their mouths move in tandem, bringing them closer together and deeper into the moment.

Howon doesn’t think it can get any better than this. He’s grateful to have reached this moment after everything they’ve been through. Although he’s been telling himself things will be okay, now he finally believes it.


End file.
